The Misunderstandings
by MissRoman
Summary: Why hadn't Jack said anything about it? It was all Racetrack's fault and Jack hadn't even come to question him. "Jack doesn't...know." Racetrack sat on his bunk and put his head in his hands. If Jack had known, Racetrack would of been dead by now.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not claim any rights to owning the original newsie characters. I only claim rights to Danny.

Hello ! I'm Roman and this is my first newsies fanfiction. :D I got this idea a couple months ago and it really grew and expanded once I started writing it. Its been a ton of fun and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Lemme just say thanks to Link (eruptingfender9) for being my beta and giving my advice! She's helped a lot.

Okay, so the first chapter is kind of just an introduction...hopefully you can get a feel of what is going on and when this story takes place.

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A warm breeze drifted through Manhattan on that cool summer night. After a busy and noisy day, the town was finally at rest. The only sounds that could be heard was the screeching of tomcats fighting and a mother singing her children to sleep. Jack Kelly sighed contentedly in the night air while staring up at the starry heavens. He and Sarah were leaning against a chimney on the roof of the Jacob's tenant building. Jack had one arm wrapped lovingly around Sarah's shoulders and the other pointing up at a certain constellation in the sky.

"See that one that kind of looks like a man?" Jack whispered in her ear, breaking the sacred silence. She smiled as her eyes searched the heavens and then she nodded. "He's called Orion."

Sarah looked back at Jack in surprise.

"He used to be a mighty hunter who claimed that he could kill every wild animal on the earth." Sarah's eyes widened.

"Really?" she whispered. "Could he?"

Jack smiled at her childlike amazement. "He was probably the strongest man alive at that time in history."

"What happened to him?" Sarah inquired quietly, her gaze wandering back up to the constellation, but Jack stared at his beloved as he spoke.

"A very beautiful goddess named Artemis didn't believe that he could kill every living animal as he claimed. So, testing his strength and his honesty, she sent him a Scorpion." There was a moment of only a cricket chirping while Sarah seemed to be pondering over what Jack had said. Jack drew her closer to him as an unexpected cold breeze combed its fingers through his hair.

"Did he kill the Scorpion?" Sarah looked up him, her head against his chest.

He smiled sadly. "No, the Scorpion killed Orion instead." Sarah whispered a short "oh" before looking at the night expanse once more above them. Silence reigned once more. As Jack gazed at the shining dots of light in the sky, his thoughts wandered back to the many nights Jack had spent with his father. It had been just like this, except for the fact that Jack had been the one who had been held by his father while listening to Greek myths about the starry formations.

"What about those clusters near Orion, Jack? What are they called?" Sarah asked in a small voice that somehow cut into his thoughts. He followed her slender finger with his eyes.

"Canis Major and Minor," he replied. "They were Orion's dogs." Sarah smiled and drew her hand back under her shawl.

"How do you know so much about these stars, Jack?" she questioned, looking up at him.

"My fadder used to tell me all these stories about 'em when I was younger," he said with a faint smile. Suddenly, Sarah looked concerned. "Do you miss him, Jack?" she asked, biting her lip. Jack stroked her hair lovingly. She was so beautiful.

"I miss the man he was," he said in response. Sarah nodded her as head as if she understood, but Jack knew she didn't.

It was getting late, but Jack didn't want to go yet. These nights with Sarah was what he lived for nowadays.

"How's your pop doin'?" Jack asked with genuine concern.

"Better, now that his arm is healed and he's back with his old job," Sarah replied with a grateful smile.

"Is Davey goin' back to school in da fall?" Jack inquired, hesitation in his voice. Sarah sighed, her smile gone.

"Maybe...Him and Papa have been arguing a lot about it lately," she commented with regret tinting her voice. Sarah looked up at Jack. "It stresses everyone out. Mama's so mad because now Les doesn't want to go to school either. They both just want to be newsies like you." A tear slid down her cheek and she hurried to wipe it away. Jack's heart went out to her. She then laughed softly. "It's foolish for me to get so upset over such small things, especially now that Papa has his job back."

"Nonsense," he whispered, giving her a squeeze. "I would of liked to get a little more education when I was Les's age." A flicker of hope could be seen in Sarah's intrinsic eyes.

"Could I tell Les that, Jack?" Sarah asked excitedly, as his words were the key to solving her problems. Jack nodded. "Sure."

He would hate to lose David and Les as newsies, but if it made Sarah and the rest of her family happy, then he could deal with it.

"Thank you," she whispered, "I have to go now, Jack. Big day tomorrow. Momma and I are going to sell our first attempts of making lace." She smiled exuberantly before detaching herself from Jack and standing on her feet. Jack stood up regrettably with her and followed her off the rooftop. Only when they came to Sarah's room window did they stop.

"I'll see you sometime soon, okay?" Jack said, assurance printed in his tone. Sarah only nodded, trust and affection gleaming in her eyes. He really didn't want to leave her. He probably wouldn't see her for a couple days and during that time he knew he would feel as if Sarah was up for grabs and surely any boy with a brain would try and steal her from him.

His lips brushed her in a farewell kiss before he whispered, "I love you, Sarah," in her ear. He looked at her moment and then turned on his heel and clamped down the stairs. It could of been his imagination, but along with his resonant footsteps, he thought he heard Sarah whisper after him, "I love you too, Jack."

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Racetrack held his breath as the overwhelming sound of hooves hitting the dirt with incredible power zoomed past him. He caught a glimpse of number 12, the horse's body dripping in sweat as the jockey pushed the creature onward. The horse was slowly inching its way towards the front.

"Go...go..." Racetrack whispered to himself, his hands clutching the rail in front of him with fear and excitement. Number 12 was so close to the finish line and coming into second place.

Race let out a yell as number 12 eventually passed the first horse and broke through the finish line. He took off his cap and waved it in the air with a burst of adrenaline, screaming the horse's name as he raced to the box office. The crowd was in uproar.

"I knew it! I knew it!" he yelled with excitement, slamming open the door to the office. A man, who was standing at the window watching the race, now moved behind the row of box windows.

"Here ya go, kid. Congratulations!" He handed Racetrack his reward.

"Thank you!" Racetrack said with a huge smile, quickly exiting the small building. He counted his money as he walked back to the rail. People crowded around the jockey, congratulating him and taking pictures.

"Ha, I knew that bum 17 would never win," he muttered to himself with a triumphant look, briefly glancing up at number 12 before stuffing the cash in his pocket.

As he was watching the jockey and his horse, someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind. Racetrack whirled around, ready to knock out anyone who dare try to steal his winnings. He let out a breath, realizing it was just a kid who in no way appeared threatening.

"Hey. Congrats on finally winning your bet," the kid said with a sincere smile. He held out a hand. Race ignored the gesture and looked at him warily.

"Finally?" Race asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, I've been watching you. You haven't won anything in awhile." The boy laughed nervously, glancing over quickly at the happy jockey. Racetrack looked the boy up and down. He was a small fry. A little shorter than Racetrack and had to be younger.

"What's your name, kid?" Racetrack asked, sticking his hands in his pockets and leaning back on his heels.

"Danny." He had a funny grin on his face while staring up at Racetrack.

"Nice to meet ya. Now mind your own business," Racetrack replied flatly. He took out a cigar. Danny gave a hurt look, but Race didn't give a hoot. He started for the exit of the track, eager to get home and tell the boys of his winnings.

"Wait!" Danny cried, catching up to him. Race kept on walking, throwing an exasperated glance at the kid.

"How'd ya know it was number 12?" Danny persisted, sticking to Racetrack's side as he made his way back to Newsies Square.

Race stopped, took the cigar out of his mouth and let out a swirl of smoke.

"Look, kid, I've been there awhile. I just knew 12 was the one," Racetrack said, a boastful smile creeping across his face. Like he was going to tell this shrimp his secret to success.

"Go home," Racetrack said, pushing the kid back in the direction of the track.

"I ain't got a home," Danny said meekly, coming back after him.

"What else is new?" he muttered to himself. A lot of kids didn't have homes. Racetrack decided to ignore the boy.

Danny trailed after Racetrack like a dog the whole way back to Manhattan. Actually, worse than a dog. There's was not a moment of silence between the two, although it was more of a one-sided conversation. Danny asked Racetrack about everything. Where he lived, what he did for a living, who his family was, his age, and a whole bunch of favorite questions...It was never ending.

Racetrack was just about to shove the kid in an alley and run away when they finally made it to the big gates of the distribution center.

"Race! Glad you're back! We's got us a hot one today," Race heard Mush call from the front of the line. Passing all the small boys in the back, Race stopped behind Specs.

"What's da headline?" Race asked, putting out his cigar and stuffing it in his pocket.

"A bridge collapsed somewhere in Staten; killed two people," Specs said with a big smile. Race watched as Jack walked out the gates with more than a hundred papes under his arm.

"That's awful!" Race heard a high pitched voice behind him shriek. Specs laughed, looking past Racetrack.

Racetrack groaned, turning around to face Danny. The boy had a look of pure horror on his face.

"Who's 'dis?" Mush asked, staring down at the kid with a puzzled look.

"I have no idea," Race muttered, taking a step forward as the line progressed.

"I'm Danny; his new friend!" he said with a beaming look, pointing at Race. Mush tossed Race an amused look. Race just shrugged. Friend, sure. More like an annoying fly that wouldn't leave him alone.

"We call him Racetrack. Race for short," Mush explained before buying his papers, a little more than usual. Racetrack glared at the Mush.

A new light dawned in Danny's eyes. "They call you that because you're at the track all day!"

Racetrack threw up his hands. "Now I understand!" he said with mock surprise. Danny grinned ear to ear.

"I've gotta get to work," Race said after Specs had bought his papes. Race decided to get some extra also. 20 more than his usual 50.

"Well, I can help ya!" Danny volunteered eagerly. Racetrack had to laugh at that.

"What's it ya do?" Danny asked, grabbing a paper from Race's stack.

"I'm gonna sell these," Racetrack explained shortly, walking out the gates. He grabbed the paper out of the boy's hands.

Danny hung back a bit as he watched Racetrack sell 7 papers in less than 10 minutes. He soon learned Racetrack's tactic.

"Gimme some," Danny said when Racetrack took a breath. Racetrack shrugged and handed him a small stack.

"Just gimme the money that you've made," Racetrack said, giving him a menacing look.

Racetrack decided to a break while observing Danny. Looking up a the sky, he saw clear blue. 'Good summer day. Not too hot...' He thought, glad to have gone to races earlier this morning instead after he was done selling. That was usually in the afternoon, when it was unbearably hot. He watched with some interest as the kid sold 3 papers faster than Race would of thought.

Soon, Danny was coming back to Race for more papers.

"Here's your money," he said with a triumphant smile, putting the coins in Race's hand. The kid thought he was hot stuff. Racetrack raised an eyebrow.

"You're gonna have to buy your own papes if you want to keep on sellin'," he said, stashing the coins in his pockets. Danny seemed to deflate. Race looked at him strangely but said nothing. Taking his stack of papers, Race continued selling. Danny, sensing the feeling that he was being ignored, decided to leave. Racetrack didn't notice till he took a break for lunch.

Racetrack just chuckled to himself. Maybe the poor kid had finally gotten the hint.

Pulling out his watch, Race decided to eat lunch at Tibby's today. After all, he did have some extra money. Smirking, he set off for the place.

Not more than 10 minutes later, Racetrack entered the small restaurant. He was greeted by some newsies already settled at the tables.

Smiling a victorious smile, Race returned greetings while making his way to the table where Jack, Boots, David, Les, Specs, and Mush were already seated.

"Heya Race," Boots welcomed, taking a huge bite of a sandwich.

"Heard about your big win today," David said, with an unbelieving smile and holding back a laugh. Race stuck out his chin with a smug smile. He pulled out a chair from under the table.

"Wait, Race, this Racetrack Higgins, was right about a horse?" Jack said, glancing at David and then at Racetrack, his eyebrows raised.

"Darn right. 10 whole bucks," Racetrack said, smacking a fist on the table. Jack burst out laughing. Nearly everyone followed suite.

"Hey! HEY!" Racetrack said, standing and pretending to be angry. They brought their laughing down a level, but still giving Race thumps on the back as if it were a huge deal.

"Guess who's buyin' lunch today, fellas!" Mush called out. The newsies hooted. Race whacked him upside the head.

"You'll buy your own lunch, ya bum!" Racetrack sat back down, tipping his chair back on the back legs. Mush snickered.

"Congrats, Race." Les said with a genuine smile after Race had ordered some soup. He nodded his thanks.

"I see you ditched that kid," Specs said after looking around the room briefly.

Jack looked up from his plate. "What kid?" he asked, curious.

"I hope ya didn't throw him in an alley. He seemed like he really liked you," Mush said, giving Race a stern look.

"Psh." Race waved them off with his hand. "He ditched me. One second he was watching me sell papes and the next, he was gone."

"Whose the kid?" Jack said, his tone demanding an answer.

Mush and Specs shrugged, looking at Race.

"Name's Danny. He followed me from the track and wouldn't stop buggin' me," Racetrack explained. He eagerly received his bowl of soup as it was brought to the table. Racetrack knew he had been giving Danny the cold shoulder, but the kid wasn't his responsibility.

Jack thought about it for a moment. Mush glanced out the big window, tapping a fork on the table.

"Never hoid of him," Jack finally said, chewing on some bread. That ended the conversation.

The newsies moved to talking about how fast they sold their papers this morning, the topic about Danny forgotten.

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Hehe. What'd ya think?

Okay? Iffy? Awesome? Loved it? Not really?

**Please review!**

I'll probably get the next chapter out tomorrow. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the original newsies characters, Disney does. But Nathan and Danny are mine. :D

Here's Chapter 2, as promised.

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"Williamsburg Bridge worker dies from exhaustion!" Jack called in a loud voice while brandishing a paper in his left hand. "Get your papers here!"

The congested Wall Street was bursting with noise and people as the cowboy tried to sell all his a'hundred papers. He didn't usually sell here, but today, he was partnering up with Racetrack for a change and this was Race's spot. Ever since David's dad had got his job back, Jack had either been selling with a different partner or just selling on his own.

Today's headline proved to be very lucrative for the newsies of Manhattan, for their papers sold like hotcakes. Anything having to do with the development of Williamsburg Bridge was considered to be a good headline.

As Jack had a pause in his flow of customers, he decided to give his voice a rest. Finding a wooden bench, he sat down and began people-watching. It had become a habit of his, and whether that was good or bad, he didn't know.

Not many food or other good stands and vendors could be found on Wall Street. This was a place for businessmen, politicians, and rick folk to congregate. More than once had Jack received a condescending glance or glare.

Even now, he caught a pretty girl with curly brown hair and blue eyes looking at him in contempt. He gave her a cheeky grin, which she turned her nose up at, and then looked elsewhere.

Observing a man in a brown suit talking to a policeman on horseback, his thoughts flew to Denton. The way the man looked when he pointed to a trio of starving children reminded Jack of the passion Denton had had for helping the Manhattan newsies. He only occasionally saw the Sun reporter now, for Denton was busy covering news in Staten Island. But whenever he did visit Manhattan, Denton would always bring news from the Staten Island newsie leader to Jack and treat his newsies to lunch at Tibby's.

Jack smiled fondly in remembering this. His eyes scanning the area once more, he saw two beautiful girls chatting and giggling as they walked down the street. Their fine and colorful dresses suggested their wealth. Jack guessed that their fathers were either factory owners or had hit it big in the stock market. With envy, Jack was about to pull his gaze away from the girls, but something stopped him. Amused, he watched as a boy, probably not far from his own age, go up and start talking to the girls in the most casual manner. Too bad Jack was at too far a distance to hear what they were saying, for Jack would of loved to learn how the boy made the girls laugh so easily. Jack had to hand it to the guy: he had good looks, obviously good manners, and charm. Even if Jack could posses all three at once, he would of never been able to get those girls to even look at him due to his low status in society. But this guy was dressed to the nines with his fine clothes and hair that gleamed in the sunlight.

Jack's gaze lingered on the trio as the two girls eventually had to depart, leaving the boy alone. Jack saw him glance about the street, his friendly smile erased by boredom. When he caught Jack staring at him, his whole face lit up, as if he had had a brilliant idea. Jack quickly looked away, but the guy was already approaching him. _'Oh great. What does this guy want with me?' _Jack thought miserably.

"Hey! You, newsboy!" he called. Jack looked at him again. '_Oh. He wants to buy a paper...' _Jack thought, feeling stupid. He stood as the boy was before him.

"I'll take one of your papers, please."

Jack didn't say anything as he exchanged a paper for a penny. The boy gave a nod of thanks before he walked off humming a tune. Jack sighed and realized that it was time to get back to selling. Gathering his papers off the bench, Racetrack finally walked over.

"How's your sel-"

"Were you just talking to that bum?" Race interrupted, looking after the retreating rich kid.

"Yep. Actually, I hafta talk to a lot of bums with this job," Jack replied with a sorrowful smile; but Racetrack wasn't laughing. In fact, he looked rather disgusted.

"He's always hanging 'round here. You should see him. He flirts with every girl he see's, pretty or not," Racetrack said with a huff. Jack just laughed.

"Race, you never had a chance anyway," Jack teased, thumping him on the back with a rolled up paper.

"Why, I oughta-" Racetrack threatened, but Jack rudely cut him off by shouting, "EXTRY! EXTRY! WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE WORKER DIES FROM EXHAUSATION!"

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Later that evening, Racetrack decided to head to the track. Maybe he had a lucky streak, maybe not. Either way, he had to find out.

He kicked up the dust with his feet as he headed towards the stables. The race wasn't going to start for about another half an hour. He had a nice amount of time to get know the jockeys and the horses better before placing a bet.

Walking down the aisle, he stopped when he came to number 12's stall. The jockey was grooming him.

"Are you in the 7 o'clock race?" Racetrack asked the jockey. The thin man looked up and then nodded. Racetrack stared at the horse for awhile.

"How's she doing?"

The jockey looked up again, looking annoyed.

"Fine, I guess," he said shortly.

Racetrack frowned. He didn't sound too confident. He wandered to some other stalls, chatting with other jockeys.

He finally settled on number 17. Leaving the stables, he ran into Danny.

"Racetrack!" He cried with a big smile, tagging after him. Racetrack groaned.

"Sorry 'bout leavin' you the other day," Danny said, looking down.

Racetrack sort of laughed. "Don't worry 'bout it, kid," he replied. He made Danny wait outside while he went into the building to place a bet.

He was less than shocked to see Danny waiting for him. He walked passed the kid to the railing where he usually watched the race.

Kneeling in the dirt, Racetrack snagged a deck of cards from his pockets.

"Wanna play some rummy?" Racetrack asked with a dark smile. Danny looked at him hesitantly, then dug his hands into his pockets.

"Don't worry 'bout da money. We'll play for fun dis time," Racetrack said quickly. If the kid was going to bother him all the time, Racetrack could at least get something out of it.

"You know how to play?" Racetrack shuffled the cards.

Danny shrugged. "A little."

"Good. Multiple melds, no lay offs till you have you own meld down, ace is high. Hmm..we'll play just one deal. Got it?" Racetrack distributed the cards. Ten each. Danny looked slightly confused, but nodded anyway.

They played the game until Racetrack had no cards left in his hand. Danny stared down at the few cards in his own hand.

"How'd you go out so fast?" Danny asked, perplexed. Racetrack just smiled. A gunshot went off, scaring the boys out of their socks.

"Shoot, didn't know the race was starting," Racetrack muttered, gathering his cards and stuffing them into his pocket. He dashed over to the rail, Danny on his heels.

"Hey Race, I wanna play you again, sometime? K?" Danny said while watching the horses speed off.

"Sure, sure," Race said mindlessly, his mind already absorbed in the race.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

A few days later, Jack ended up selling with Racetrack again. He had already been hawking the headlines for more than half an hour when Jack saw a familiar figure. Tall, handsome, good-mannered; there he was again. Like a lion looking for his prey, his deep blue eyes scanned the street for somebody, anybody, to talk to. He had come to conclusion that since this guy was only seen prowling the streets after three o'clock, he must be a student. Another attribute was added to the already impressive list.

As Jack began to sell with Racetrack more often on Wall Street, he began to see more of this boy who had so many advantages in life. At first, Jack found it easy to laugh at the kid's pride and haughtiness, but as time wore on, Jack began to only sink lower and lower into a pit of self-pity and envy at the sight of him. Soon, he began to understand why Racetrack felt so much resentment towards this boy.

As Jack wandered over to his selling spot, an area on the opposite side of the street where Racetrack was, he spotted Sarah walking down the sidewalk. She had her usual basket at her hip, veggies brimming the top. She was looking ahead with a thoughtful expression. Jack smiled at the sight of her. He only sometimes saw her when he was working, but still, he wondered what business she had on Wall Street. Catching his look, Sarah waved with a cheerful smile and bounded over to him.

"Jack!" she cried, giving him a hug with her free arm. "I'm so glad to have caught you!"

"Hey, whatcha doin' on Wall Street?" Jack asked, releasing her. He casually looked up and down the street.

"Mama and I are cooking up a big dinner tonight," she replied, gesturing with her left hand. "Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans..." she trailed off, her eyes wide. Jack could almost see the drool. He laughed. Then, suddenly, Sarah looked Jack straight in the eye and her face grew serious. "You'd better be there!" she said, foreigning a threatening voice.

Jack psh-ed her. "I'm always there if there's food!"

Sarah gave him a flat look. "Oh really? What about the time I slaved all day in the kitchen and you never even showed up!" she cried, slapping his shoulder with the back of her hand.

Jack pretended to be hurt as he rubbed his shoulder. "You know that night I had..." he fumbled for words while Sarah rolled her eyes with a big grin.

"Something important?" she suggested. Jack's face lit up and he nodded vigorously. Sarah broke out laughing. "Fine, fine. Just be there tonight, okay?"

"Promise," he said.

Sarah pointed a stern finger at him. "7 o'clock!"

"Okay! Okay!" Jack cried, waving her off with a paper. Sarah snorted in a un-lady like manner and then strode off. Jack chuckled and shook his head after she had gone. He would never live down the night he had missed dinner with the Jacobs. It was true though, he had had something really important going on that night. Spot had called him to Brooklyn for a emergency meeting. Some newsies from Queens had been stealing Brooklyn selling territory and Spot was none too happy about it. Jack had been called in as an arbitrator. He had told this to Sarah and she understood, but she still claimed teasing rights.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

An hour or so later, Jack was nearly done selling. Looking at the sun, he hoped it to be almost noon. His stomach was growling and his voice was wearing thin. A nice cool glass of lemonade at Tibby's sounded like heaven at the moment. Although he rather liked selling on Wall Street with Racetrack, the walk to Tibby's was always longer.

Turning to face another side of the street, his heart jumped at the sight that greeted him. Sarah was talking to _him_. Jack wished he knew this guy's name so he could say it and then spit on the ground beneath his feet. He glared angrily at the boy who was flirting with Sarah. Sarah! His girl! Clutching his papers tensely, Jack strode towards the two. But something stopped him. Sarah was laughing and smiling along with this boy! '_Calm down, Jack. I'm sure she's just being friendly_.' He told himself while taking in a couple of calming breaths. He waited for the boy to depart before approaching Sarah. She had begun to walk away too, but Jack quickly caught up with her and laid a hand on her shoulder. She turned and smiled when she saw Jack.

"Jack-"

"Do you know who you were talking to?" Jack interrupted.

Sarah nodded her head. "Yes, his name is Nathan and-" She stopped when Jack looked at her with a expression of shock, disbelief, and hurt.

"Sarah- Listen to me," Jack said solemnly, now holding her by the shoulders at arm's length. Sarah nodded her head slowly, looking a bit confused.

"Dat guy is bad news," he started.

Sarah shook her head. "No, Jack, he-"

Jack shook her by the shoulder gently. "I know who he is! I know what he does all day," he said with conviction. Sarah opened her mouth, but he rushed on. "Sarah, just trust me on this, okay?" His eyes pleaded with hers. She looked away. Curse Nathan and his charming ways.

"Jack..." she wailed in a small voice. He heard Racetrack calling him from across the street.

"We'll talk later, k? But right now, I gotta go to Tibby's," Jack said with a smile. She looked at him with a disappointed expression. "Awuh, come on, I'm sure he wasn't dat great," he said with a laugh.

"It wasn't that!" Sarah protested.

"I'll see you tonight, k?" he said, glancing at Race briefly.

She nodded. "Fine...but I hope you'll still come even if-" Sarah began to say, but Jack cut her off with a groan of impatience.

"Dun worry! I'll be there!" he averred. "Racetrack's waiting for me."

She sighed with defeat. "Fine. Bye..." Jack smiled gratefully and then took off towards Racetrack.

"Sheesh, Jack. I got better things to do dan watch you two lovebirds," Racetrack muttered, sticking a hand in his pocket while his other gripped his left-over papers. Jack followed him as he turned down an alley. Jack tossed him a dry look.

"I saw her talking with dat one bum dat's always hanging around," he said in his own defense. Racetrack shot him an amused glance.

"Ahhh. So the big boy strikes again," Racetrack said with a tsk-tsk sound. "I swear, Jack, no gal is safe from dat guy."

Jack smiled half-heartedly. They walked in silence for a while, weaving in and out of different alley ways and streets.

"Found out his name is Nathan," Jack stated, breaking their silence. Racetrack was about to reply, but then he shut his mouth as the they came upon a group of kids kneeling down on the brick pavement. As Jack came closer, he realized they were playing a classic game of craps. He smiled fondly, remembering the days when he played craps. He had stopped when most of his money had gone down the drain and when he realized he didn't have any talent in betting. One grubby handed kid was shaking the dice in his closed hand while several of the children were yelling at him for cheating. Racetrack stood towering over the group.

"What's da number?" he asked one little boy anxiously while digging deep into his pockets. Jack laughed. Race was hooked like a fish taken to bait.

"I'm gonna go to Tibby's! Have fun!" Jack called over the shouting to Racetrack. His friend nodded faintly before laying down his bet. Jack walked away, shaking his head. Racetrack would cheat those kids left and right until the point that Jack would have several new newsies show up at the distribution center tomorrow.

* * *

Thanks for reading and thanks for the review lilnewsie77!

Probably get my next chapter out tomorrow...Hey, its spring break. I have a lot of time on my hands. :D

Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Yes, its true. I don't own any of the newsie original characters. Only Danny and Nathan are mine.

Alright, so Chapter 3. Here's the big 'turning point' of the story, I guess you could say. Well, for one of the plots, anyway.

* * *

After finishing the game of craps with a few extra dollars in his pocket, Racetrack had gone to Tibby's with the rest of the newsies and then to the track. But now, he was heading down an alley with Danny at his side. He had run into the kid while on his way back from the races. Racetrack didn't ask, but he wondered what the boy had been doing wandering around Brooklyn this time of night. It was late and the sun had already set. Racetrack would of thought that Danny would be safe in the stables by now, sleeping on a mound of straw. Oh well, Racetrack was stuck with him now. Hopefully he would turn around once they got to the Brooklyn Bridge.

"So do only newsies stay at the lodging house?" Danny asked, his voice tinged with hope. Racetrack frowned. He'd never really thought about that.

"I guess so. It is called da newsboys lodging house," Race replied, taking a drag of his cigar. "But I guess if the person who wants to stay pays six cents for a night, he could stay. You'd hafta ask Kloppman."

Danny nodded and then said, "I have six cents."

Racetrack looked down at him. "Don't you stay at the stables?" he asked him curiously.

Even in the dark of the night, Race could see Danny look down at his toes in shame. "Not tonight...I got in some trouble..."

"Ahh... Well, we'll see what we can do for ya," Race said, giving Danny a comforting pat on the back. Danny looked up at him with a huge grin.

"Now don't get ya hopes up, kid. I'll hafta ask Jack first," he warned. Danny nodded solemnly.

"Of course. 'Cause he's your leader, right?" Danny asked. Racetrack nodded.

"And 'cause you're not a newsie," Racetrack added. Danny gave him a defiant look.

"I've sold papers with you before!" he said in his own defense. Racetrack laughed.

"Alright, so you're a one time newsie...but dat doesn't mean Jack will look at it dat way," Racetrack said, putting his hands in his pockets. They were on the Brooklyn Bridge now. Danny stopped and then suddenly scrambled to the side of the big bridge. Racetrack tagged after him with a short and amused chuckle.

"Racetrack!" Danny called out into the night air, waving Race over with his hand. "Look!" he said. Gripping the rail, Racetrack looked in the direction in which Danny was pointing. The deep, dark abyss seemed to swallow up the night air, but by the aid of moonlight, Race could faintly make out a lone rowboat floating slowly down the river.

"Whadda think it's doin'?" Danny asked. He was watching the boat with interest, tracking it's movement with his eyes.

"Those two guys down there, ya see 'em?" Racetrack asked. Danny nodded. "They're gonna row their boat quietly up the river until dey reach dat big trading ship up there. Then you watch, those two will sneak on the ship and steal whatever they want. Den dey'll hop back in their tiny boat and row away...just like nothin' ever happened."

Danny scrunched up his nose in disbelief. "Really?"

Racetrack said with an affirming nod. "How do you think I sell my papes so fast?"

Danny looked now at the men with suspicion now. "Why don't we go stop 'em?" he asked, chewing on his bottom lip nervously. Racetrack laughed so loud that Danny rushed to cover his mouth. He glanced down worriedly at the men. Racetrack shoved away his hand.

"If we stop 'em, then I won't have a great story to hawk tomorrow," Racetrack explained.

Danny glared at him. "That's a lame excuse," he said and then turned his back on Race and then crossed his arms.

"Danny, I doubt dey'll get past the gangplank. I'm just jokin' with ya, kid," Racetrack said, playfully socking him in the arm. Danny turned around with a look of annoyance.

"I knew that," he said indignantly. Racetrack shook his head and said something under his breath. The two didn't speak for a moment as they watched the rowboat progress slowly down East River.

Figuring that they wouldn't leave until the boat had safely passed the big trading ship, Racetrack asked, "So ya been in Brooklyn this whole time?"

Danny nodded, placing his chin in the palm of his hand.

"I came here after my mum left me," he replied.

"Where did you use to live?" Racetrack questioned. Danny let out a puff of breath.

"California. But after the big wild fire, we moved to Queens," he answered.

"We?" Racetrack asked, his whole attention on Danny. The boy didn't reply for a moment as he stared at the boat. It was slowly passing the ship.

"See, I told ya. They didn't even try," Racetrack said with a laugh. Danny looked relieved.

"My mum, me, and my sister," he then replied, looking at Racetrack now.

"How come you didn't stay with your sister after your mom left? Or did she leave with your mom?" Racetrack's brow furrowed. Danny shook his head.

"I tried to stay with her. Really, I tried hard," Danny answered with some frustration.

"So what happened?" Race asked, prodding him on. Danny looked at him.

"Before my mum left me, we had all stayed in a small apartment in Queens. My mum was trying to talk my sister, Alice was her name, into working with her at the theater. They fought about it a lot 'cause Alice really didn't like the theater business. One night after they had had a big argument, Alice ran away. She wasn't in her bed in the morning. My mum looked for her, but she was couldn't find her. I even tried to find her. But it was useless," He stopped and let out a sigh here. "She was always rebellious and stubborn. She hated the way we were so poor and how we had to live in bad places. I remember her talking about running away more than once."

"How old was she?" Racetrack asked once Danny had finished talking.

"She had just turned 15..." Danny said after some thought. "This all happened a couple months ago. I doubt she's still in New York City," He added, pushing himself off the rail. Racetrack doubted she was still in New York City too. Any girl would have a hard time surviving on her own in Queens or Brooklyn, even Manhattan. Danny began walking again and Race followed.

"Well, whadda ya think Jack will say?" Danny asked. A smile spread across his features, as if he was trying to forget what he had just said and focus on the present.

Race, still pondering Danny's story, only replied, "Never know what that Cowboy will say." Danny nodded but didn't say anything further.

The two continued in silence until they reached the lodging house. It's height towered above them, casting shadows on the street.

Racetrack pulled open the flimsy door and stepped into the lobby. Danny stopped as soon as he entered the room. His eyes wondered everywhere: from the shabby counter in which Kloppman stood behind to the worn staircase covered with the boys' scribblings.

"Are the bunks upstairs?" Danny asked quietly, nodding to the stairs.

"Yep," Racetrack replied quickly and walked up to the lobby's desk. "Hey Kloppman, can the kid stay here tonight?" Danny quickly came up to the desk and dug six pennies out his pocket.

Kloppman inspected the coins carefully before finally nodding his head. "Fine by me," he agreed, taking the pennies.

"Come on, let's go talk to Jack!" Danny said with a grin, rushing for the stairs.

"Thanks, Kloppman," Race said with a smile before tagging after the boy.

When they opened the door to the room where all the bunks were, Race was greeted by nearly all the newsies. They were scattered about the room, some strewn on their bunks while others kneeling on the wooden floor with cards or dice.

"Ya boys decide to turn in early tonight, huh?" Race asked, plopping on his bunk. Danny suddenly grew quiet and shy, standing by the door with his hands behind his back.

"Early, yeah, got a big day tomorrow," Kid Blink hollered from across the room.

"What, ya meetin' a girl?" Boots asked with a grin. Blink socked him in the arm.

"Hey, Race, isn't that the kid you had with ya the other day?" Mush asked, coming up to him. Racetrack nodded, busy with trying to find something under his mattress.

"I remember you," Mush said, looking the boy up and down. Danny nodded slightly, afraid to speak. He looked up the big curly haired boy with eyes that seemed to size Mush up.

"How old are you anyway, kid? 11?" Swifty asked, coming up then. Danny's face heated up.

"I'm 13," he said rather defensively.

"Small kid," Swifty muttered and then walked away. Danny glared after him. Racetrack looked around the room.

"Heya Mush, where's Jack?" Racetrack asked. Mush leaned against the bunk post.

"Washroom," he replied shortly, making a chin-up gesture to the door that led to their bathrooms. "So's the kid staying with us tonight?" Mush asked, crossing his arms.

Danny stood straight as a statue, uncomfortable with so many people he didn't know.

Racetrack shrugged. "Up to Jacky-boy." Mush nodded with understanding.

"Good luck, Danny," Mush said with a mischievous smile before walking back to the other side of the room play a game of poker with some fellers.

Racetrack smiled. "Don't worry, kid. Jack's not that scary." Snipeshooter laughed from the bunk across Racetrack's.

"I remember when I first met Cowboy. I was tremblin' like crazy. 'Course Jack's nothing compared to Spot," Snipeshooter commented. "But don't tell Jack I said," he added with a snicker.

"Who's Spot?" Danny asked Race who was leaning against the wall. "Nothin' but another newsie with pink suspenders," Race said with a smile in effort to comfort the boy.

Snitch, on the top bunk, threw a wadded up newspaper at Racetrack. "Don't ever let Brooklyn hear you say that. He'll soak you good," he said, mocking sternness. Racetrack rolled his eyes.

"Is he the leader of Brooklyn newsies?" Danny asked, interested in the tough figure of Spot.

"Yeah. Spot Conlon," Snipeshooter said, playing with a yo yo. Danny was just about to open his mouth to ask another question when Jack entered the room. His mouth instantly closed shut. Racetrack could see fear in his eyes. '_That's good. Boy needs to have some fear for someone, especially Jack_.' Racetrack thought, standing up from the bed. Jack walked past them to his bunk. He stopped suddenly and backed up. He paused, staring at the group.

"Who's dis?" Jack asked, his eyes meeting Danny's. Danny took a step back timidly, not willing to say anything.

"Uh, Jack, this is the kid from the track I was telling you 'bout," Racetrack explained hesitantly, now unsure of what Jack's reaction would be. The rest of the newsies gathered round the scene, all eyes on Jack and Danny. Racetrack put a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder.

"What's he doing here?" Jack asked, sounding somewhat annoyed and extremely tired.

"I wanted to stay here tonight," Danny said suddenly with an attempted fierce voice. Race shut his mouth, having been cut off by his outburst. Jack instantly looked down on the kid.

As soon as Danny's words left his mouth, Racetrack could see that Danny regretted being so bold. Race looked at Jack. Everyone was silent in the room.

"You wanted to, huh? Kid, dis is the newsie lodging house. I don't recall you being a newsie," Jack said, taking a threatening step closer to the kid. Danny took a step back, his fear fully in its place. "We newsies here, we know each other, we trust each other like brudders. You don't see scum in dis place because I don't let 'em in. We's got all our personal belongings in here. If all dis got stolen, you'd be the foist to blame. I don't know you, don't trust you, and don't want you sleeping here. Understand?" Some of the newsies drew in a sharp breath. They had never heard Jack elaborate on such a subject before. Racetrack stared at Jack. Danny's face was bright red with anger and embarrassment. Before anyone could say anything, the kid raced out of the room and down the stairs. Silence reigned for a brief few moments. The newsies looked at each other and began to mutter.

"Get to bed," Jack barked, shattering the hushed atmosphere and sending everyone flying for their bunks. Jack's little speech made perfect sense, but Racetrack couldn't understand why he had chosen to be so harsh to the kid about it. Obviously, Jack was in a bad mood tonight.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The lights were out and Jack could hear everyone snoring. Although he had regretted being cold to the new boy, that wasn't what had been keeping the cowboy up.

Seeing Sarah with Nathan again was fresh in his mind. After he was done selling with Racetrack, he headed over to the Jacob's for dinner.

When Mrs. Jacob's opened the door to his knock and let him in, he was shocked to the bum at the table.

"Jack, I'd like you meet a new friend of David's," Mrs. Jacobs said with a big smile while putting a big plate full of roast and vegetables on the table. Jack was shocked to see the same flirty guy stand up and walk over to Jack to shake hands.

"I'm Nathan," he said. Jack did nothing but just stare at him with cold eyes. Sarah came up behind the boy.

"Nathan, this is my friend Jack," Sarah explained with a forced smile. Her eyes pleaded with Jack to be polite. Jack looked over the boy from head to toe. It was the first time Jack had seen him up close and in person. He was probably an inch taller than himself. He had sandy blond hair and blue eyes. His smile created dimples that any girl would consider 'cute'. Jack torn his gaze away from the boy to Sarah.

"Jack, nice to meet you," Nathan said with a slight smile. Then, just as he had done the day Jack had met this boy, Nathan's whole face lit up. "Heyyyyyy! You're that boy I bought the newspaper from a while back!" he grinned broadly, as if he thought himself brilliant for remembering this.

Jack tried to smile. Everyone soon sat down at the dinner table, their mouth watering at the delicious meal set before them. Along with the roast were rolls and butter, green peas, and lemonade.

"Jack! Glad you could make it!" David said when Jack came to the table.

"Hey David, Les," Jack replied in a quiet tone. After Mr. Jacobs had said a grace, everyone dug into the meal.

"So, Davey, how do you know...Nathan," Jack asked, restraining himself from spitting when saying 'Nathan'.

"We used to go to school together," Nathan volunteered with the information. David nodded. Great. So Nathan probably had known Sarah for awhile. Jack swallowed a spoonful.

Had she always had a crush on the boy? 'No, no, she loves me.' Jack thought to himself, trying to assure himself. He stared at his plate.

"So do you still go to school?" Jack heard Sarah ask Nathan. Their gazes locked for a brief moment and Jack thought he might gag. Nathan then nodded.

"I have been going to school, even after David dropped out," he replied, taking a sip of water. Mr. Jacobs frowned a little but didn't say anything.

"How's Mark doing?" David asked, obviously trying to change the subject. Nathan laughed.

"He finally got himself a girl," Nathan said with a smirk. David laughed and muttered 'unbelievable.'

Jack sunk a little lower in his chair, feeling once more, out of place. It often happened at the Jacob's place.

"So what do you want to do in college?" Mrs. Jacobs asked. Nathan tapped his spoon against the plate as he thought.

"I think I want to be a doctor," he finally said. Jack caught Sarah's look of admiration.

As if on cue, Nathan turned to Jack and asked, "Do you go to school?" Jack choked on his bread.

"Um, no," he replied quietly, looking down at his food.

"Ah," Nathan said with a shrug. "It's not for everyone." Jack's fists clenched under the table and he cast Nathan a glare that was only to be ignored.

"Jack and I are newsies," David said, coming to Jack's defense. Jack gave him a thankful look.

"Me too!" Les spoke up.

Jack smiled. " 'Course ya are, kid."

Les grinned and then continued picking at his soup.

"Well, I knew Jack was a newsie...but I didn't know that was what _you _were doing now," Nathan commented, looking bemused.

"Penny a pape," Sarah said with a warm smile while David nodded. Jack said nothing, feeling suddenly ashamed of his newsie position.

What did Sarah think of him being a newsie? He'd never asked her. Would she prefer him to go to school like Nathan?

Another horrible thought came to mind. Why did Sarah like a newsie like himself when she could have a smart, handsome guy like Nathan?

Later, after dinner, the whole group gathered around to play a game of cards.

Jack, being taught from the best(Racetrack, of course.), won the game. They all laughed about it and demanded Jack teach them his secret.

Jack shook his head with a smile. Nathan spoke up then, "I suppose, being a newsie, you have a lot of time on your hands to learn games like this?" The smile was quickly wiped away from Jack's face as he interpreted the remark.

"No, I actually spend most of my time woikin'," Jack spat back. Everyone stopped laughing. Nathan looked confused and slightly hurt.

"Sarah, ya mind if I talk to you? Alone?" Jack requested in a cold tone, standing up out of his chair. He quickly climbed through the window and onto the fire exit platform, leaving the window open for Sarah to followed. He leaned on the railing, a million horrid comments flying through his mind.

He heard Sarah climb through and shut the window behind her, leaving a group of confused people in the apartment.

"Jack, what's wrong?" she asked, biting her lip and showing genuine concern. He didn't bother to look at her.

"What's wrong?! I told you to stay away from the bum and then you invite me to dinner with him!" he said, glancing back through the window.

"I tried to tell you on Wall Street today! You wouldn't let me talk!" she protested, crossing her arms to protect herself from the summer night breeze.

Jack couldn't reply to that. Now that he thought about, Sarah had tried to tell him something but he wouldn't listen.

"You introduced me as your friend," he muttered, now looking her straight in the eye. Sarah looked down at her feet.

"You are my friend, Jack," she replied quietly, looking up but in another direction.

"I consider our relationship to be a lil bit higher dan friendship," Jack said.

"My parents don't know that Jack! I don't tell them stuff that kind of stuff!" she quickly replied, drawing her shawl tighter. "Nathan and I grew up together, we've always been friends. Everyone's always assumed we liked each other..." she added, her brows drawn together frustration.

"Do you like him, Sarah?" Jack questioned. She said nothing. This threw Jack deeper into his pit of anger and disappointment.

"I can't compete with him, Sarah!" Realizing his voice was echoing off the alley walls, he stopped and tried to calm himself down. In a lower voice, Jack said, "He's polite, educated, handsome, and probably has a good family with some money in their pockets!" Jack looked at Sarah who was still gazing down at her feet. He went over to her and pulled her chin up. "Look, Sarah, I'm just a newsie. I ain't got nobody but my boys to support me," he stopped, seeing tears form in her eyes.

"We love you, Jack," she said quietly. He took a step back, releasing her.

"We?" he asked in shock. "We?" he repeated it again, growing more distraught. His voice broke the night's peaceful silence once more. "You know Sarah, you've always held back. Is this why?"

"Jack, look, just give me time to figure things out, please," she said in a desperate voice. He looked up sharply at her.

"Let you figure -- You know what, you do dat, Sarah. But when you realize that dat kid is just a bag of lying bones, don't come crawling to me with tears in your eyes," he spat, instantly regretting the words as soon as they jumped from his mouth. But, being the stubborn boy that he was, he wouldn't take them back. Tears slid down Sarah's cheeks.

Not willing himself to look back at Sarah, he started to climb down the steps to the alley, not saying anything, not even a goodbye. He heard her crying softly before he exited the alley and made his way back to the lodging house.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Now, lying in his bunk and thinking about the event, anger began to boil in him again. She deserved whatever harsh words he had said. If she was even toying with the idea of taking a liking to that Nathan and doubting their love, well Jack wanted nothing to do with her at the moment. He still couldn't believe she hadn't told her mother or father. Why wouldn't she if every one else knew? Even the newsies knew of their relationship. Jack endured teasing almost everyday from his boys about it. A new idea struck him. Maybe she didn't want her parents to know. Maybe her parents wanted her to grow up and marry Nathan or someone else rich and educated and somehow Sarah felt she couldn't let her parents down. Jack cringed at the idea and quickly said to himself that he was just going overboard about the whole thing. But then again, why would any parent want their daughter involved with a newsie? Jack bit his lip at the thought. He hated the way Nathan made him feel worthless. Every time he thought about Nathan, he felt like a poor street rat. But that's all he really was, wasn't he?

Turning on his side, he realized he had taken his anger out of the poor kid who just wanted a place to sleep. He slammed his fist into his pillow. 'What an awful leader you are, Jack,' he thought to himself. He sighed inwardly. What a terrible day this had been. Finally, after much thought, he realized that he needed some sleep to make through the next day. So, Jack shut down his brain, ridding all thoughts of Sarah and Nathan.

* * *

Awuhhhhhhhhh. D:

This is one of my favorite chapters. Yep.

What'd you think? -big arrow with flashing light bulbs points to review button-


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the original newsies. But you know that.

So. Here's another chapter :o

* * *

Racetrack woke up early the next morning, wanting to catch the morning race and maybe get a chance to talk to Danny. He tiptoed to the washroom, trying not to make too much noise.

When he looked up in the mirror after washing his face, he saw Jack's reflection. Racetrack couldn't help but laugh as he turned around. Jack's hair was sticking out everywhere and bags were covering his eyes.

"Charming as ever, Jacky-boy," Racetrack said with a smirk before brushing his teeth. Jack rolled his eyes and went over to pump out some water. Racetrack figured he woke up early to catch a shower before they had to start selling. Jack usually was the only one who did this. Racetrack assumed he liked his privacy...and the hot water.

"Hey Race, if ya see Danny around, tell the kid I'm sorry," Jack said, resting a hand on the water pump. Racetrack didn't say anything for a moment, carefully choosing his words.

"What was wrong with you last night?" Racetrack ventured, rinsing his tooth brush in a bowl of water. Jack just sighed as he hopped into the shower while pumping the water at the same time. Racetrack had never been able to master that particular skill.

"I went over the Jacob's for dinner," he said. Racetrack caught what he was saying above the sound of running water.

"So? You usually have a good time over there," Racetrack said, puzzled. Jack didn't respond for a while. Racetrack, assuming he didn't want to talk about it, found a comb on the cluttered shelf.

"Ya know the guy we saw flirtin' with Sarah the other day?" Jack said suddenly.

"Yep," Racetrack replied, remembering seeing the dislike on Jack's face.

"Well, he was there. He's a friend of Davey's," came Jack's reply in a tone filled with dislike. Racetrack understood. As Jack continued on with his story about meeting 'Nathan' and having an argument with Sarah, Racetrack dragged a comb through his hair. At the end of his rant, Racetrack let out a long sigh.

"Why did the Jacobs all of the sudden get to together with him now?" Racetrack asked, leaning against the washroom wall. Jack grunted.

"Who knows? Dey could of been getting together all this time without me knowing nothing. Sarah could of been in love with this feller for years now," Jack said, his voice unsteady as he tried to make it sound careless.

"Awuh, Jack, don't worry about it. Dey probably stopped seeing each other after Davey quit school. Maybe Nathan was just visiting to see how dey were doing," Racetrack suggested. Nothing but the sound of water filled the room for a minute or two. Racetrack could tell his friend was confused and hurt, not to mention angry with the whole situation.

"Jack, I've gotta head to da tracks before da race starts, but I hope you two woik this out," Racetrack finally said, throwing on his newsies cap.

"Yeah...see ya in a hour at the big pearly gates," Jack said. Racetrack laughed before leaving the room.

Poor Jack. Racetrack would hate to see those two break up, especially over a jerk like Nathan. Pondering the whole story Jack had just told him, Racetrack made his way to the tracks.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

He arrived just in time for the race. Deciding not to bet on this one (the stakes weren't that high), Racetrack focused on different horses, judging how well they would do in future races.

Deep in concentration, he jumped when someone stepped up beside him.

"Oh hey, Danny-boy," Racetrack said with a smile after realizing who it was, still watching number 9. Danny didn't say anything. In fact, he seemed kind of bummed.

Racetrack turned to him with some concern. "Hey, don't look so down, kid. Jack sends his apologies."

Danny still didn't say anything. He stepped onto the bottom bar of the rail, gripping the top bar with his hands. Racetrack, for the first time, noticed Danny's yellow bracelet made of clothe.

"Where'd did you get that?" Racetrack asked suddenly, pointing to the wristband. Danny stared down at it.

"My mum gave it to me before she left," he said, fingering the cloth. It was almost brown due to the all the dirt that had collected on it.

"Left you?" Racetrack asked, rising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. She wanted to be a big actress on Broadway. Didn't need a kid to her bring down." Danny stared at the passing horses.

"What about your fadder?" Racetrack persisted, somewhat interested.

"Died in a California wildfire," Danny said simply. Racetrack didn't ask anymore questions. He had heard similar life stories.

"So, Jack is sorry about the way he treated me?" Danny asked, trying to change the subject. Racetrack nodded, looking back to the track.

"I don't think I'll come back anyhow," Danny said. Racetrack didn't say anything as number 9 cut through the finish line as the winner. He smiled, knowing who he was betting on next race.

"Ya don't have to. Plus you might want to become a newsie first. What do you do to earn money, kid?" Racetrack asked.

"Oh, I do odd jobs around the stables," he said with some pride.

Racetrack smiled. "That's a good job."

"So about we play that rummy game again?" Danny asked eagerly.

"Sorry, kid, I hafta go sell the papes," Racetrack said, pulling out a cigar.

"Oh.." Danny muttered with disappointment.

"Carryin' da banner!" Racetrack cried with enthusiasm as he walked off.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack saw Racetrack enter the World's Distribution Center's gates as he was in line. David and Les followed after him. Jack could tell David was looking for him.

He swallowed, not wanting a confrontation from David about his sister. Jack couldn't tell if David was mad or not with him as he approached.

"Hey Jack," David said quietly, slipping into line behind him. Jack didn't say anything, pretending to be completely absorbed in watching Crutchy buy his papers.

"Why was Sarah crying last night?" Les, of course, was the one to pop the question. Jack looked over at them suddenly, forcing a confused expression on his face.

"I dunno," Jack replied while not looking at David. He got his 100 papers and sat down on the dock to read the headlines.

David soon had his papers and had sat down next to Jack.

"Jack, what happened last night?" David asked in a curious voice. A wave of relief hit Jack. Sarah hadn't told her brothers. "When Sarah came back into the house, she ran straight to her room. When I went to look outside, you had left. She wouldn't talk to us the whole night."

"Why did you invite me to dinner when you invited that bum too?" Jack asked in effort to ease the focus off Sarah. David's mouth dropped open.

"Sarah invited you. Not me. But I didn't know you had something against him..." David said.

"The guy was flirting with your sister the whole night, Dave!" Jack said. He stood up, tossing David a look of disgust. How could David be so blind?

Jack passed Racetrack on his way out of the headquarters.

"Come on, Race, we'll sell together today," Jack said suddenly, grabbing Racetrack by the sleeve and dragging him out of the center. David caught up to the two.

"Jack, he's always had a crush on her. Its nothing new," David explained. Unbelievably, there was genuine concern in his eyes.

"Knowing dat, you invited me over for dinner? That's great, David. You're always thinking!" Jack shouted in response. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Jack! Sarah invited-"

"Race, let's go! Now!" Jack cut off David and grabbed Racetrack's sleeve again.

Racetrack gave David a 'please-help-me' look before following after the mad cowboy.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack ranted and complained the whole way to their selling spot.

"I can't believe Davey! How could he set me up like that?" Jack said, gripping his papers tightly.

"Maybe he wasn't thinking like that," Racetrack suggested.

"He knows how important Sarah is to me!" Jack kicked a wooden box out of his way. Race gave his friend a sympathetic glance.

"Jack, calm down. Breaking stuff won't help anything," Race said, laying a firm hand on his shoulder. Jack froze in conviction and turned to Race.

"Of course... But maybe breaking dat boy's pretty nose will help," Jack said, his eyes glazed over, as if imagining the scene.

"Snap out of it, Cowboy," Racetrack said with a laugh. Jack sort of smiled.

"You know, if Sarah really loves you, she'll fix dis mess," Racetrack said with an assuring nod.

"Thanks, Race. What would a guy do without a friend like you?" Jack said with a half smile.

"Probably break a guy's nose." Racetrack joked with a smirk.

Jack socked him in the arm. "I wouldn't go that far. But if I ever catch that guy-" Jack stopped as he caught sight of something.

Racetrack followed his gaze and swallowed when he saw Sarah looking at a vendor. Jack's face hardened.

"Good luck sellin'," Jack said stiffly before moving down to the other side of the street. As Race track started his own selling, he could see Jack was making no movement towards Sarah.

When Sarah made her way down Jack's side of the street, she caught sight of him. Racetrack saw her wave and call his name. Jack didn't respond. In fact, he was all together ignoring her.

Even from the distance between them, Racetrack saw Sarah's hurt expression. 'Well, if she's flirting with another boy, then she deserves it.' Racetrack thought to himself.

In defeat, Sarah left the street then, heading back to the apartment building. Racetrack wandered over to Jack.

"Didn't you see her?" Racetrack asked when Jack took a breath from hawking.

"Yeah, of course." He didn't smile or anything; he just had a blank expression on his face. But Race could see that he was kind of disappointed. "I'm not going to give up dat easy, Race."

Racetrack nodded with understanding. "Do what ya gotta do," Race said, his voice edged with respect for his leader.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Later, around one or so, the two boys decided to head to Tibby's for lunch.

"Well, although it wasn't da best headline, all my papes sold pretty fast," Racetrack commented as they walked through the door. Jack nodded. He had sold all his faster than Racetrack, but still waited for him to finish before going to Tibby's. A lot of newsies were already seated at tables.

Was that Danny sitting with Skittery and Kid Blink? Racetrack's nose scrunched up. He and Jack took a seat at a table with Snipeshooter, Boots, Mush, David, and Les.

"I dunno, Spot can do a lot with that cane of his..." Boots said with an amused look on his face.

"Forgot da cane! Dat newsie can sure pack a punch," Mush said, slamming down his glass on the table for emphasis. Racetrack could tell they had walked in on a conversation.

"What do you think, Jack? What makes Spot so threatening?" David asked, looking up at Jack casually.

"Do you guys need to ask? He's Spot and dat's it," Jack said, plopping down in a chair.

"I dunno, his pink suspenders always threw me off," Race said with a skeptical look. He then looked up and saw Danny standing there with a small smile on his face. Jack instantly recognized him and stood up. Danny took a step back when he realized Jack was there.

"Hey kid, sorry I exploded on you the other night. I was, er, having a bad day," Jack said, ignoring David's curious look. Danny actually smiled.

"It's okay. I'm Danny, by the way," The boy said, holding out a hand.

"Jack," he said before shaking Danny's hand. Racetrack eagerly received his food from the waiter while Danny took a seat next to him and Jack also sat down.

"So we're you guys talking about Spot again?" Danny asked with interest.

Mush laughed. "You should meet him someday, kid," he said with a smirk.

"Oh yeah, he'd love dat," Race said, rolling his eyes.

"What's so scary about him?" Danny asked with a confused look.

"You know how Jack acted last night? Spot's like dat all the time, just 3 times worse," Snipeshooter explained with a serious face.

Jack slammed a fist on the table. "I can act as tough as Spot any day," he said in his own defense, hiding a smile.

"No offense, Jack, but you're more of a sucker," Racetrack said with a snicker. Everyone at the table laughed as Jack leaped out of his seat and lunged for Racetrack.

Racetrack quickly leaned back in his chair, just out of Jack's reach.

"I'll soak ya, bum! That'll teach you to show some respect," Jack said with a mischievous grin while sitting back down.

"Sure ya will!" Racetrack said, flicking a toothpick across the table.

Danny, sitting at the end of the table, watched all this in amusement. Race looked over to him and saw he had enjoyed their little show.

"But, really, ya never mess with Spot, Jack, or any other leader of a borough. Even if you aren't a newsie," Racetrack said, now with seriousness.

"Never, even if you don't agree with them. They know more," Mush threw in. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"And Jack isn't afraid to soak any of his boys when dey are out of line," Snipeshooter commented. David didn't say anything, but agreed with the newsies. He also had a lot of respect for Jack...or used too, anyway.

Race looked over to Jack, who was leaning back in his chair with his hands on his head, obviously pleased with the boys' dedication.

Danny chewed on a plastic straw while thinking over the matter. The boys moved on to other topics while they waited for their food. They were talking about streets cats and how you could kill one with a slingshot. Snipeshooter even said he saw Spot do it once.

"What if you knew that your leader was wrong. Like one of you saw Jack commit a murder or something, but he lied about it? What would you guys do?" Danny suddenly spoke up. That quieted everyone down. No one knew how to answer. Danny looked at all their faces, especially at Jack who was giving the kid a 'are-you-accusing-me?' look.

"Well I guess that's what trust is all about," David finally spoke up. Everyone liked the answer and agreed. Jack nodded.

"I didn't make myself the leader, Danny, they all sort of...elected me after the old leader got a new job," Jack explained, taking a drink of water. Danny nodded with understanding and the subject was forgotten. In the back of his mind, Jack was annoyed with the question though. Racetrack could see it in his face.

"Hey Race, how 'bout that game of rummy?" Danny asked after some of the boys had left to continue selling, though most of them were done.

"Sure, let's go outside though. Tibby doesn't like us hanging around dat long," Racetrack suggested, leading the way outside. He found an empty alley with a huge crate on the side.

Using the crate as a table, Racetrack set up the cards. "Same rules as last time, remember em?"

Danny nodded. They played for awhile and soon began to put some money down on the table. As the game progressed, Racetrack could see that Danny had had a background with cards or else he was a born natural. He even beat Race one game. But just one.

After a couple hours, they ended the game. Danny was running out of money to play with.

"You seemed miffed, kid," Racetrack said while gathering up his cards.

"You won nearly every game!" Danny exclaimed, slamming the box with his fist.

"Darn right I did. I know every trick in da book," Race said with a smirk.

"How long have you been doing this?" Danny asked.

"Gambling? Betting? Probably since I was 11," Race replied. "I'm better at card games," he added with a wink.

Race started walking out of the alley. Danny followed after him.

"Teach me," Danny said, tugging on Race's sleeve.

"Teach you? I've never taught anyone my tricks. At least not all of 'dem," Race said.

"So teach me. You have to have someone to carry on your great name, Mr. Racetrack," Danny said with pleading eyes. Racetrack stopped and turned down a street.

"I'm gonna go to da track, Danny," he said, not wanting to talk about teaching some kid all his best tricks. It was something he felt belonged only to himself, and if he taught it to Danny, Danny might teach it to someone who Racetrack would play someday.

"At least teach me about betting on the right horse," Danny whimpered, following him. Race shrugged.

"Sure. That's not too hard to learn or dat important to give away," Racetrack said, thinking nothing of it.

So, they spent the afternoon watching races and Racetrack teaching Danny the ropes about betting on a horse. Danny even was right about number 14 after the evening race had occurred. He won fifty cents. Not a big winnings, but it was something for a beginner.

As the sun began to set, Racetrack decided it was time to head back to the lodging house. He said goodbye to Danny, who decided not to try sleeping at the lodging house again. He said that the stables were fine for him. So Racetrack set off for home, feeling good for teaching a kid a useful tool that he could use to make some money. He just hoped Danny would use his new knowledge wisely. But, looking back on his own first days at the track, Racetrack really started to worry.

* * *

Well, nothing really interesting happened. But I still like this chapter. :)

Thanks for the reviews Maddiecake and lilnewsie77!

Keep 'em comin', folks! -spork points to review button-


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the original newsie characters. I'm not that creative. :P

* * *

Jack kicked a rock as he headed down the street. Nearly deserted, Jack felt kind of lonely. Even more lonely with thoughts about Sarah flying through his head. It had a been a week since their argument and Sarah still hadn't come back to stay sorry or confess her true feelings. Maybe she really didn't care as much as Jack thought she did. He let out a big sigh. Passing their apartment building, he looked up at their window. It was open and the lights were on. He wished he could go up and at least talk with David. But Sarah might be there and it would probably be awkward. Besides, what would he have to say to David? He leaned against their brick wall. As thoughts zoomed through his mind, he hardly noticed an approaching figure. But as the person drew closer, Jack gathered his wits and stood with his fists in front of him.

"Relax, Cowboy," Racetrack said, coming a bit into the moonlight. Jack put his hand down. He had probably just got back from the races.

"Oh. Hey, Race," Jack said quietly, leaning back against the wall.

"What ya doing out here?" Racetrack asked, lighting his cigar on a brick wall. Jack shrugged.

"Just thinking," Jack replied, taking out a cigarette and doing the same. Racetrack looked up at the Jacob's window.

"Why don't you go-" Racetrack stopped when Jack began to glare it him.

"Oh yeah, Race, I'll just go up and hang out with David, who's already mad at me, while Sarah is in the room," he said with a mocking voice.

"Hey, just an idea. Maybe she has something to say and she can't say because you're ignorin' her," Racetrack suggested. Jack raised an eyebrow. That idea wasn't half bad.

"Ya know, I have been ignorin' her," Jack stuck the cigarette in his mouth and looked up at the window. "But I'll just go to talk with David..." he added.

Racetrack nodded. "Good luck," he said and then turned and headed back to lodging house. Putting out his cigarette, Jack climbed the fire escape exit staircase. When he reached the platform, he looked through the window before entering. What he saw was disappointing. Nathan was visiting again. Jack let go of the window and took a step back so they won't see him. He watched the happy scene for a moment. The Jacobs were gathered around the table with Nathan. He appeared to be telling a story as the family listened intently. All of the sudden they laughed as Nathan had apparently made a joke. Jack looked closely at Sarah. She was laughing as well, her gaze fixed on Nathan as he told the story. Nathan caught her look and stared at her for moment while his lips kept moving. Jack, not bearing to watch anymore, walked down the platform slowly. Ideas swirled around his head, as well as anger. How come Sarah kept hanging out with this guy? And by the way Nathan looked at Sarah, Jack could tell that Sarah hadn't told Nathan about their relationship yet.

Jack, having had enough of seeing this jerk, decided to wait for Nathan to leave the apartment. He would have a nice talk with him before he went home for the night.

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It was probably an hour before he heard the Jacobs say goodnight and he saw Nathan exit the apartment building. You would have thought that Cowboy had had time to think about what he was going to do and realize it was stupid. Well, he did think, but those thoughts consisted of the dinner he had with the Jacobs and Nathan and all those hidden insults Nathan had said. So, for an hour, Jack's anger was boiling.

As Nathan hit the street to head home, Jack quickly blended into the night shadows as the boy walked right past him. Jack smiled maliciously as he silently followed the boy for a couple feet, not making a noise until they passed a empty alley. Nathan, hearing someone behind him, turned around instantly but Jack had slipped into an alley way. Nathan muttered something under his breath and then continued walking. Jack began to follow him again. But this time, he made his footsteps louder. Nathan, once again, spun around. Having the advantage of surprise, Jack grab the boy's collar and thrust him aside and against the alley's brick wall.

"What's your problem?" Nathan asked, struggling against Jack's hold. Jack was stronger. "

"My problem is you. Tell me whats going on between you and Sarah. Now," Jack demanded firmly.

"Jack? Are you serious?" Nathan asked in disbelief. Jack pushed him further against the wall. "Okay, okay, if it means that much to you," Nathan said.

Jack loosened his grip a bit, realizing he _was_ being kind of dramatic about the whole thing.

"Sarah and I are just friends...to her...but I've always had a thing for her..." Nathan said slowly.

"A thing?" Jack asked, pressuring further explanation. He saw Nathan was having a hard time spitting it out.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" Jack said, his tone going up one level. Nathan didn't say anything.

"Aren't you?!" Jack asked even louder, pushing him harder against the wall. Nathan barely nodded.

"Yes, yes! Okay? What's it to you?" Nathan asked, having a hard time breathing.

"What's it-" Jack laughed. "Sarah and I have been together for almost a year now!"

"Well she never told me! Goodness!" Nathan exclaimed, getting angry. He pushed Jack away, surprising the cowboy.

Jack quickly reacted, grabbing his sleeve quickly. He jerked him back in front of him. Now it was Nathan's turn to be surprised.

"You stay away from Sarah, ya hear? You hang out with the Jacobs, tell your funny stories, be friends with Davey, but NEVER, EVER touch my girl or even look at her with those goggling eyes of yours," Jack brought him closer in a threateningly manner, "If I catch you doing anything like that, I'll give you a soaking you'll never forget," Jack said in a harsh whisper. He let go of the Nathan, throwing him to the side. Jack could see his eyes big with fear. Nathan took off like a scared rabbit, running straight out of the alley. Jack shook his head in disgust and spat on the ground.

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Walking back to the lodging house, Jack mulled over the events. And by the time he opened the door to the room, he had realized what he had done was wrong and completely foolish. The newsies were still up, playing poker and just messing around. It must not have been that late. Many of the newsies greeted him as he made his way to his bunk.

"Race, what time is it?" Jack asked gruffly as he took off his shoes and sat on his bunk.

"Almost 10," Racetrack replied after having taken a look at his watch. He observed Jack carefully from the bunk across from his. Jack threw his head into his hands as his elbows rested on his knees.

"Boys, get to bed!" Jack shouted across the room, though not in a angry manner. He was more disappointed with himself then angry at Sarah or even Nathan.

Everyone rushed to their beds in respect for Jack's authority. The lights went out quickly and soon everyone grew quiet.

Jack lay down in his bunk, thoughts of regret and fear running through his head. He was awake for a long while before actually falling asleep, pondering what he should do. The main thought rolling through his head, however, was, 'What will Nathan tell Sarah?'

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The next day, Racetrack woke up early again. He really didn't want to miss this morning race. His favorite horse was suppose to be racing and Racetrack had a feeling the horse would win this one.

Preparing for the day in the washroom, he was disappointed that Jack didn't wake up early as well. He had really wanted to talk to him about what had happened with Sarah last night.

Deciding bring it up later at Tibby's, Racetrack started his long journey to Sheepshead Bay.

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At the entrance, Danny met him with a big grin on his face. "Race! I've been waiting for you!" he said eagerly, beckoning with his hand for Racetrack to follow. Raising a brow, Racetrack followed the kid, though he didn't have that much time to spare(having looked at the race times on the chalkboard).

In the stable, Danny stopped at number 4's stall.

"This one is gonna win, I just know it!" Danny exclaimed, rubbing the horse's face. Racetrack chewed on his lip as he looked over the horse. She was built well and looked strong, but then again, most horses that raced did.

"What makes ya say so?" Racetrack asked, putting out his cigar. He always forgot when in the stables. Danny gave him a dull look.

"Can't ya see it in her eyes?" he asked, looking at the horse. Racetrack looked at the horse's eyes and frowned.

"No, she looks beat," he muttered to himself and then shrugged. "Sure, kid," Racetrack replied to Danny. Danny rolled his eyes and turned back to the horse. Wandering over to another stall, Racetrack reached out to pet the horse.

"Hold it," he heard a gruff voice behind him say. Race froze and turned around. One of the stable workers was looking at him with an angered face.

"You kids can watch the race, but you ain't allowed in here messin' wid the horses," he said, pointing to the exit. Racetrack scowled but exited the stables.

Danny followed after him silently.

"Dey never said anything to me like that before," Racetrack mused aloud as he went to the rail. "Must be a new worker," he concluded. Racetrack had always visited the stables and talked with jockeys before the race, and nothing would stop him from keep on doing it, unless that worker returned.

"Race, did you make a bet yet?" Danny suddenly asked. Racetrack nodded. The kid looked disappointed but didn't say anything.

The race began with a shot. The two watched from the rail, shouting and cheering for their horse.

At the end, Racetrack was shocked that Danny's horse had came in first, winning the race. Danny didn't bet anything on the horse, so he didn't get any winnings, but Racetrack could tell the kid was exceedingly proud of himself. Racetrack gave him a pat of the back and congratulations, though somewhat surprised that the horse had won.

"Hey, Race, I wanna make a bet with you," Danny said after the race was over and Racetrack had to go sell papers.

"A bet with me? Just between us?" Racetrack asked, not that interested. Danny nodded.

"5 dollars," Danny stated firmly. Racetrack looked sharply at the kid.

"That's a lot of money, Danny," Racetrack said with a frown. He didn't even have that much, but he sure could use it.

"I got 5 bucks. I've been saving for a couple months," Danny said, running a finger along his suspender. Racetrack stood silent for a moment. Danny had been betting on horses for a week or so now, and he was pretty good. Racetrack thought he could still bet on a better horse and win against Danny if 5 dollars was at stake. Danny was just an amateur with some beginner's luck.

"I don't have 5 bucks, but I could pay you back in a month or so if I lost," Racetrack said, trying to get Danny to forget about it.

"I don't care," Danny replied with a small smile. "You think about it, Racetrack. Come back tonight if you're game."

Racetrack nodded uncertainly. "Sure, I'll think about."

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Jack held a hundred papers in his hand as he met Racetrack at the big gates.

"Hey Race, how'd it go?" Jack asked.

"Not so good. But I didn't lose much," Racetrack replied, chewing on his cigar. "Jack, what do you think-" Racetrack was just about to ask for advice when Jack looked past Racetrack, his face contorting into fear. His expression was replaced by a blank face in a second. Racetrack turned around to see what he was staring at. Jack didn't move as David, Les, AND Sarah came marching up to him. They said nothing at first, just staring at Jack with expressions of anger, shock, and disbelief.

"What?" Jack asked innocently, looking at them as if they were crazy.

"Jack- how could you?" David asked, his face red with anger. Jack still played dumb. He looked at Sarah. She seemed more upset than anyone.

"Sarah, whatchya doing here?" Jack asked, looking back at the group of newsies who had stopped talking in line and had turned to watch the scene. It _was_ unusual that Sarah was here.

Sarah took a step forward, her fists clenched.

"I came to talk to you about last night!" she exclaimed, acting as it if were obvious. Jack didn't say anything, figuring she knew about what happened. He looked away.

"Nathan came to us this morning with a black eye and bruises on his arm," she said through gritted teeth. Jack's mouth dropped open, looking back at Sarah quickly.

"I never touched the kid!" he exclaimed in his own defense.

"Oh really?" she cried, shaking her head in disbelief.

"He says you beat him up in the alley after he left our place," David said with a grim look.

"Beat him up? Heck, I just had a talk with the boy!" Jack said, throwing down his papers in an angry manner.

"Ya, he told us what you said," David replied, crossing his arms. Sarah stared at Jack, now looking more hurt than anything.

Sarah grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him aside from the others. The distribution center was deathly silent.

"You just can't do stuff like this, Jack! It's not civil!" she said to him, letting go of his arm once they were a fair distance from the group.

"Are you saying I'm not civil?" Jack replied. The feelings Nathan had evoked in him the night he had dinner with the Jacobs returned. He gave an offended look.

"No Jack-" she started to say with a loud sigh, obviously frustrated at his misunderstanding.

"Ya know, Sarah, I may not go to school or nothing, but that doesn't mean I'm just some street scum!" She tried to stop him but Jack continued, his voice loud enough for others to hear.

"I won't take his snitty little comments about me not going to school or being a newsie! These boys here," he pointed to his boys in line, "respect me and I'll always have them. I'm der leader and that's something more than that bum will ever have!" Jack took a breath for a moment and then lowered his voice. "Ya know, Sarah, he said he loves you. Always has." Jack searched her eyes. Sarah took a step back.

"Jack, you know- you know that-" She was frustrated. But she finally spat it out. "I don't have any feelings for him! Okay? He's just a friend! But if you can't take that in a mature manner, then...then-"

"Then what?" Jack asked in a tempting manner, though really fearing what she would say.

"Then I don't think we should see each other anymore!" she cried, a tear of anger and hurt sliding down her cheek.

She walked away from him with one last look and a shake of her head. "I can't believe you, Jack," she muttered.

"I can take anything in a mature manner!" Jack yelled as she began to leave the area, refusing to act sad or sorry in front of his boys. No one spoke after she left, the area still locked in silence.

Jack ran a hand through his hair and then picked up his papers from his grounds.

"What are ya staring at? Get to work!" Jack shouted, annoyed that his boys had witnessed the whole thing. Not looking at David, he walked out of the gates.

None of the newsies followed him. No one wanted to be with Jack when he was in a bad mood.

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"What was that all about?" Mush asked.

"I dunno," Specs said.

"Did Jack really beat up some kid?" Skittery asked.

"Nah, he's got better manners dan dat," Boots said.

"Dat's not what Sarah said," Swifty said.

"Sarah's a girl," Snipeshooter said with a shrug.

"Goils happen to know a lot!" Mush said, whacking Snipeshooter upside the head with his hand.

"Sh's, Davey's comin'," Specs hissed. The boys instantly quieted as David got in line with Les behind him.

"What happened, Dave?" Racetrack asked, venturing to be nosy.

"Nothing," David said in low tones, still angry over the matter. Racetrack frowned.

Looks like he would just have to ask Jacky-boy himself.

Race quickly bought his papers and ran after Jack. He searched the streets for a good twenty minutes before finding the cowboy.

"Jack!" he called, catching up to him. Jack turned from collecting a coin from a customer, but didn't say anything.

"Jack, come on, ya gotta tell me what happened!" Racetrack said, panting for breath. Jack pushed his hair to the side.

"I did something stupid, that's what happened," Jack muttered, sitting down on a box nearby.

"You really didn't beat up that guy, did ya?" Racetrack asked. Jack glared at him.

"Of course not. That would have been really stupid," Jack replied. Racetrack waited for him to continue.

"I just pulled him aside in a alley and asked him what he thought about Sarah..." Jack said. Racetrack looked at him with a raised brow.

"Okay, so maybe in a threatening way. But I didn't punch him or anything," Jack said with a shrug, looking down the street. Racetrack let a sigh of relief.

"But Sarah doesn't know that. The bum probably put on some gunk to make it look like he was bruised," Jack spat. Racetrack nodded in agreement.

"What ya gonna do?" Racetrack asked.

"I don't know. She doesn't want to see me," Jack said with a huff. "I swear, the next time I see that lying fool I'll-"

"Jack, that'll just get you in more trouble with Sarah," Race stopped him by saying. Jack gave a look that said "Oh-yeah-darn'.

Race laughed.

"Ya know what I think you should to do, Jack?" Racetrack asked with a small smile.

"What?" Jack asked, annoyed.

"Apologize," Racetrack said. Jack stood up.

"I can't apologize!" Jack exclaimed. Racetrack just shrugged, knowing he would of objected. "Heck, it's half her fault! She was the one flirtin' with da guy!

"Just think 'bout it. Not sayin' you have to," Racetrack said casually. He then looked down at the papers under his arm. "I'se gotta sell dese."

Jack frowned and looked away. Racetrack smiled sympathetically and then wandered off to his own selling spot. If Racetrack knew Jack like he thought he did, then Jack would fix this and fix it the right way.

* * *

Or will he? Mwhaha.

Thanks for reading, thanks for the reviews, and thanks for adding this story to your story alert!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about how the plot is going and the story in general. :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't claim any ownership to the original characters from the movie Newsies.

* * *

It was early in the evening when Racetrack quit a game of poker with the boys and decided to head to the track. He would hate to miss that race when so much at stake.

"Where ya going, Race?" Boots asked when he stood up from the circle of newsies.

Mush rolled his eyes. "That's a stupid question," he muttered.

"I got a bet with Danny at the track," Racetrack explained, putting on his hat.

"How much?" Specs asked. Race looked at him with a smirk.

"5 whoppers," he replied. Mush whistled.

"You shouldn't take advantage of the kid," Skittery said with a frown.

"Psh, Danny made the bet hisself. I'll buy ya all a soda if I win," Racetrack said with a wink. This earned hoots and 'good-luck's from the boys as he walked out the door.

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The sun was just beginning to set as Racetrack entered the track. He shielded his eyes with his hand as he looked around for Danny.

Guessing he was in the stable, Racetrack looked in there. Sure enough, Danny was leaning against a stall door, staring at a horse. Racetrack crept up behind him.

"That one looks like a safe bet," Racetrack said, making Danny jump. Danny turned with a pouty frown.

"Don't scare me like that," he muttered and then turned back to the horse.

"Are ya betting on that one?" Racetrack prodded.

"I'm not tellin' you," Danny said with a huff. Racetrack rolled his eyes. He wandered across the hall to another stall. He already knew who he was betting on, but it didn't hurt to look around. Number 12 was practically dancing in his stall. Race smiled with satisfaction. This was his day. He could already feel the cash in his pocket.

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The boys were leaning on the rail as the horses ran their way around the track. Danny was yelling and screaming for number 3 while Race was quietly watching number 12 with big eyes. They had told each other the number of the horse they were betting on and they spit shook to seal the deal. They had also agreed that if neither of the two horses came in first, then the money would go to boy whose horse came before the other boy's horse. Danny was looking nervous when Race glanced over at him. The race was already half over. The small crowd that had gathered in the stadium were on their feet, cheering for different horses. Race was feeling pretty confident as number 12 slowly made it's way to the front. Danny's horse was not far behind, though. Racetrack started chewing on his nails. He really didn't have five dollars to spare. As Danny's horse passed number 12, Racetrack was regretting the bet.

"GO!" Danny shouted as the two horses were almost neck and neck. Racetrack swallowed as the finish line drew closer.

Sucking in a breath of shock, Race watched as number 12 seemed to get a second wind and passed Danny's horse and the other front three. He held his breath.

"YES!" Racetrack let out a yelp as number 12 crossed the line before any other horse. Danny's horse came in 4th place. Race jumped off the rail and started hugging Danny.

"He won! 12 won!" he cried, throwing his hands up in the air. Danny was glaring at him. Race stopped his cheering as he noticed Danny's dark look. A smirk crept across Racetrack's face.

"Hand it over!" Race said, holding out his hand. Danny only stared at his hand, not moving. Racetrack frowned.

"Come on, we had a deal. Gimme five bucks," Race said impatiently, wiggling his fingers.

"NO!" Danny shouted unexpectedly, his fists curling up in balls.

Race's face instantly changed as he took a step towards the kid.

"Kid, gimme the money," Race said in a low tone, giving a threatening look. Danny looked scared for a second before putting back on an angered front.

"Ya know what? Fine," Danny said while digging in his pockets. He pulled out the bills.

When Racetrack reached out to grab them, Danny jerked the money back and said, "I can't believe you agreed to the bet, Race! Knowing you'd win! That's unfair to little kid like me!" Danny said, now looking hurt. Racetrack looked at him with a 'you're-crazy' kind of look. How the heck could this kid be so sensitive and moody?

"Foist of all, yer no little kid. Second of all, you made the bet!" Race said, leaning down to be face to face with Danny.

Danny shook his head and took a step back. Racetrack straightened.

"I thought you were my friend," Danny said with a frown. Racetrack let an annoyed sigh.

"Ya, I still am, but you made a promise," Racetrack said plainly, finally snatching the money out his hand. Danny crossed his arms, looking more angry than Race had ever seen the kid.

"I'll make ya regret this, Racetrack Higgins!" Danny yelled in his face. Race laughed and stuck a cigar in his mouth.

"Sure kid, looking forward to it!" he said with a mocking smile. Walking away from a steaming Danny, Racetrack stared down at the money in his hand with joy. He folded it in half and stuffed it in his pocket. As he began to think what he would do with the money, he quickly forgot about Danny.

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The moon was his only source of light as his weary feet padded onward. The noises he heard weren't comforting ones and the shadows he saw made him tremble.

He wasn't used to traveling this late at night. Usually he was curled up in a stack of hay at this time of night, enjoying the peaceful sound of horses snoring. And he would be, but tonight, he was on a mission.

"Why didn't I go in the morning?" Danny muttered to himself, taking a break to lean against a break wall. He had been weaving his way in and out of alleys all night long, all in hopes of finding the a certain lodging house.

Looking around, the alley the seemed to stretch forever into darkness, Danny decided he would have to get some sleep if he wanted to be presentable the next day. Make that in a couple hours.

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Of course, Danny didn't wake up to streaming rays of light or the wonderful sound of birds. Hah, you can't get that lucky in an alley. And definitely not an alley in Brooklyn.

No, instead, when Danny opened his eyes, he was greeted by the site of at least five boys looking down on him. Well, that woke him up all right. He sat straight up, scooting himself up against the brick wall.

"What ya doing in our alley?" a boy asked with a mussed brown hair and an angry expression. The other four boys asked similar questions, taking steps closer to Danny.

"I-I was just sleeping," Danny stuttered, wrapping his arms around his knees. He didn't looked at the boys that closely, but he knew that they were around his age and they couldn't beat him up that bad.

"Well get out and go sleep in someone else's alley," the same boy said, pointing at the end of the alley that probably just led to another alley where another group of boys would beat Danny up. He stood.

"I was just-" Danny stopped as he stood up. A smile spread across his face. "Do know Spot Conlon?" he then asked, watching the boy's reactions. They suddenly didn't look so tough.

"Ya, everyone knows Spot," one boy said with a frown. 'Score!' Danny thought.

"Where can I find him?" Danny prodded. None of the boys looked like they wanted to talk. The boy, who seemed to be the leader of their little group, stepped up.

"It betta be someting important," he said in a grave voice before proceeding to give Danny instructions.

"Thank you!" Danny cried with relief, speeding out of the alley as fast he could. As he weaved his way through more alleys, he finally reached the a main street. Then, following the instructions the boy had given him, he made his way to a lodging house similar to the Racetrack stayed at, except this one was more run down. He stood there for a minute, just staring at the building. If this Spot Conlon was as tough as others made him sound, Danny wondered if he should make this risk all for revenge, if that was really what he was after.

He laid a firm hand on the door knob and slowly opened the door. As he stepped into a small lobby like room, Danny only saw a desk with papers scattered everywhere. He could hear loud laughing and banging coming from the door across the room. He wondered if he should go knock or wait for someone to come out. Drumming his fingers on his thigh, he waited for a few minutes.

No one showed. Why was Danny so afraid of a boy he'd never met?

Having a sudden burst of courage, Danny approached the door quickly and knocked boldly.

It was only a second before a tall boy, looking quite winded from laughing, opened the door wide. He stopped laughing.

"What do you want?" the boy asked harshly. Danny swallowed his fear.

"I'm here to see Spot. Spot Conlon."

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

It looked like it was going to be another humid summer day when Jack stepped out of the lodging house that morning. He sighed miserably.

A couple of the newsies ran ahead of him while Jack walked slowly to World Distribution Center. The sun beat down without mercy, even at such an early hour.

Jack could already tell that this was going to be a bad day. As he walked through the big gates, he quickly walked to the front of the line as was custom. Thinking he'd make it out of the area without seeing David, Jack quickly bought his 100 papers, not even pausing to look at the paper's contents. Just when he had thought he was out of the danger zone, Jack bumped into David and Les while walking out of the gates.

"Hey David," Jack tried say pleasantly with a smile.

"Oh, hey, Jack," David returned with a sickeningly sweet smile. He then spat on the ground in an angry manner.

Jack frowned. "Come, Davey, this is between Sarah and me, not us."

"We have to protect our sister!" Les suddenly spoke up, his little voice speaking volumes. Jack looked hurt.

David nodded firmly in agreement before placing his hands on his little brother's shoulders, steering him toward the end of the line.

"I wouldn't ever hurt her!" Jack called after them, offended that Sarah's brothers would think that he would be capable of abusing their sister.

"You already have," Jack heard David mutter in a low tone. Jack didn't say anything. David ignored him from that point onward. It had been like this for days and Jack was sick of it.

Racetrack then came up to him with a happy expression on his face.

"Hey Jackey-boy. Guess who just made five bucks?" Racetrack said, flaunting the bills in front of his face. Racetrack pulled his hand back as Jack reached for the cash.

"You made that much all in one bet?" Jack asked, his eyes wide. Racetrack nodded with pride. Jack made a tsk-tsk sound.

"I wouldn't be braggin' 'bout it. Might disappear one day," Jack said teasingly. Racetrack rolled his eyes.

"You still gonna work today then?" Jack then asked.

Racetrack shrugged. "I guess. But I ain't sellin' wid you again."

Jack gave an offended look.

"What? Your mopey mood makes me mopey," Racetrack said with a laugh. Jack glared at him, making a lunge for his friend, but Race quickly ran to get in line for his papers.

Jack shook his head with a snort and looked around. It looked like he would be selling alone today.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"So, should I say 'Cat claws lady to death'?"

"Dat's poifect, kid!" Spot gave him a slap on the back. Danny gave a tiny grin. He wasn't proud of himself of twisting the headline. It was just another lie he would have to tell.

Danny looked back down at the paper. Spot rose from the box. "So's, you sell those 10 papes and we'll see how you do, k?"

"Spot, where ya gonna go?" Danny asked when Spot started to walk away.

He turned around. "I'se gotta sell my own papes."

Danny's shoulders sagged.

"I can't be with you all da time. In Brooklyn, yer on your own," Spot then said before turning around.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

It seemed like a whole hour had passed before Danny had finished selling. He set off to find Spot. Being a newsie wasn't too bad, but he really liked his stable job and couldn't wait to get back to it. He could even leave tomorrow if possible. Humming an old tune, Danny made his way back to lodging house. He was happy to find Spot there. A lot of the other boys were there also, having sold all their papers. Danny wondered if they ate lunch at any certain place everyday, like the Manhattan newsies. He doubted it. The atmosphere was different here. The boys were tougher. They still hadn't accepted him as a newsie yet. Spot was definitely on a different level than Jack. Spot earned his respect by pushing it on his newsies, even the ones bigger and older than himself. It seemed like everyone feared the great Spot; even Danny did. Jack, on the other hand, earned his respect by proving he was a good leader and was out to protect his boys. After staying here for a couple of days, Danny was already liking Jack better. Spot had been nice though. He had showed Danny the bare basics of selling a paper.

As Danny sat on a bunk, he listened and watched the Brooklyn newsies as they joked and talked. Spot had gotten involved with a game of poker. Danny wandered over to the circle of newsies, eager to watch a real game of poker. Racetrack had taught him to play the game...

He frowned, pushing the thought of Race out of his head.

"You gonna visit Jack soon, Spot?" someone asked.

Danny, hearing the mention of Jack, jerked up his head. Spot shrugged.

"Jack'll visit me sometime dis month," he replied with a dull tone.

"Dunno about that," a boy muttered, casually glancing at his cards. Danny looked at the boy.

"Now, why ya say that, Shift?" Spot asked, glancing at the boy curiously. Shift looked up briefly.

"He didn't come last month," he stated. Spot thought about this for a moment.

"Yer right. He didn't." Spot grunted with a frown.

"Dey ain't the most reliable boys in New York," another boy said.

"Nah. Jack was probably just busy."

"Busy? Too busy to make a visit to Spot?"

"Shoah. He's gots better tings to do."

Spot didn't look too happy as the boys continued to converse about the leader of Manhattan.

Danny saw his chance.

"I dun think that Jack feels the need to see ya, Spot," Danny said in a small voice, causing the other boys to stop their talking and turn him.

Spot raised an eyebrow in question.

"Whadda ya mean, kid?" Shift asked. Danny shrugged innocently.

"Yeah and since when did you know Jack?" another boy asked. Danny's face turned red.

Spot looked really curious now.

"Well, I was with the Manhattan newsies for awhile," Danny said, looking down. Lie number one. Spot jumped up in rage.

"Jack didn't send you here to spy, did he?" Spot questioned harshly, pulling Danny up by his collar. He shook his head fervently.

Spot put him back on his feet with a look of relief.

"Why did ya leave Manhattan then?" Spot then asked, his tone still cold. Danny looked around at the boys.

"Well...I just wanted to see what they were all talking about," Danny finally spat out.

"And what's dat?" Spot replied, crossing his arms.

"They talked about you a lot," Danny said quietly. His face brightened. "Oh! I almost forgot to ask. Why _do_ you wear pink suspenders, Spot?" Danny said suddenly, pointing.

Spot looked down at his suspenders and then looked up. Some of boys let a long and deep 'Ohhhh', as if Danny had asked a bad question. Spot looked furious. The leader took a step toward Danny.

"What have dey been tellin' you?" Spot asked in a low tone. Danny backed up in fright.

"Nothin', nothin'! They were just teasing around about your suspenders," Danny said, then added, "and other things..."

"You tell me what dey said or I'll soak ya good," Spot threatened, reaching out to grab Danny's collar again. Danny scooted back.

"Okay, okay! You win!" Danny held up his hands. "I heard Racetrack say a couple of things. I remember him saying..." Danny paused for a moment, trying to think back. Spot looked impatient. "Race said, 'Spot ain't never gonna get my respect as long as he keeps wearing those suspenders!' Stuff like that." Danny shrugged as if it were nothing. He saw Spot's face burn up; in anger or embarrassment, he didn't know. None of the boys laughed as Danny expected them too. In fact the room was deathly silent. It was as if everyone was holding their breath, waiting for their leader to explode.

"Is that all he said, Danny?" Spot asked in an amazingly calm voice. It made the newsies even more nervous. Danny wracked his brain, trying to recall any past conversations about Spot.

"One time I asked him, 'Whose Spot?'. Race just said, 'Nothing but a newsie wid pink suspenders'," Danny replied slowly. The boys murmured in low tones. Spot had heard enough.

Danny watched Spot as he exited the room with speed. Danny started to go after the leader, but one boy jumped up and stood in his way. The boy gave him a glare and Danny backed down.

He wandered over to his bunk, hiding a large, satisfied grin on his face.

* * *

Excuse the cheesiness and poor written content of this chapter. It's not my favorite.

Thanks for the reviews! I'm always looking forward to them. :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the original Newsies characters. Don't sue me, k?

I posted this chapter kind of soon because it's shorter than the others, so be happy, read, and then review! :D

* * *

The sun was setting and Racetrack was tired. It had been a long, grueling day of selling for the Manhattan newsies. News was scarce and headlines were horrible. Because he had had a hard time selling his fifty papers, Racetrack had barely made the evening race. He wondered if Jack managed to sell his hundred. As he walked out of the track's entrance, Racetrack realized that he hadn't seen Danny around the track for quite awhile. He stopped walking for a moment, calculating that he hadn't seen Danny for about 3 days. He stuck his hands in his pockets and kept walking. '_He's probably just_ _busy_,' He thought to himself. Busy with what though? Danny's only job was stable work. Ah well. It was all for the better. Racetrack didn't need Danny by his side all the time, pestering him about a stupid bet or card tricks.

He took in a breath of New York air as he traveled back to lodging house. He could smell the sewer, the garbage, the rotting breads from a bakery, and smoke from cigars. He was accustomed to the smells of Manhattan, having lived here most of his life. He could hear laughter trailing from the apartment building as he passed. A cat screeched and there was a loud thud. Someone was yelling and a girl was singing. Racetrack began to hum to add to the variety of noises. It was almost dark and he could just barely see the moon among the tall buildings.

As he turned down an alley, one that he considered a short cut to the lodging house, Racetrack kept a wary eye on the dark shadows. Although he knew the sounds and smells of New York, one could never know what lay hidden in the alleys. His footsteps echoing against the walls, he stopped humming. He had heard another pair of footsteps. Racetrack paused and perked a ear. Nothing.

Continuing, he tried to shrugged off his fear. Still hearing the footsteps, he assumed it was just some homeless kid or some other type of street rat. With that thought of assurance, Racetrack pick up his tune.

After a few minutes, Racetrack heard a steady tap accompany the footsteps. He froze and turned around.

Before he knew what had hit him, Racetrack was down on the brick ground. He struggled to get up and saw a shadow looming over him.

Racetrack, on his feet, was quick with his fists, swinging at his attackers face. The shadow quickly ducked and threw another punch at Racetrack's gut. The newsie doubled over in pain.

"Danny's been sayin' some stuff," the attacked said in a low tone while he pushed Racetrack against the alley's wall with a stick. That's when Racetrack, although in pain, realized it was Spot.

Racetrack pushed against the bar that was holding him back. Spot was stronger than that.

"Spot, what's wrong wid you?" Racetrack managed to mutter. Spot loosened his grip for a second. Racetrack seized the moment and quickly pushed away Spot's cane.

Racetrack really didn't want to fight with a borough leader, but when another one of Spot's punches came, Racetrack knew he had to defend himself.

Race quickly took a step back, having received the punch on his left eye.

"Don't you ever talk bad about Brooklyn again, ya hear?" Spot said before Racetrack had a chance to recover from the blow. Racetrack barely heard him. He had tried to return a punch, but Spot had already started making a exit. Racetrack didn't bother to run after him. He sunk to the ground, his back sliding down the wall. The newsie let out a groan, fingering his lip. He was bleeding. 'What in the world was that all about?' he thought numbly, squeezing his eyes shut. The noises of the night flowed around Racetrack, now making him feel dizzy.

"Come on, you've had worse," he told himself in a weak whisper, forcing himself to get up. He staggered his way out of the alley. At least the attack wasn't made far from the lodging house.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

About 10 minutes later, Racetrack had made it to the lodging house. He opened the door slowly. The voices of boys filled his ears as he stumbled in the lobby. Race clutched his stomach, feeling nauseated. He didn't notice anyone in the room. His vision was blurred and his legs felt like noodles. He sagged to the wooden floor. The boys turned around when they heard a soft thud. Their laughter stopped as they noticed their friend. They rushed forward with wide eyes and furrowed brows.

"Race, what's wrong?"

"What happened to your eye?"

"Are you okay?"

"Who did dis?"

"Race, you awake?"

The questions spewed forth. Racetrack tried to sit up.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he muttered, wiping away the blood that had trickled down his chin from his lip.

"Who did dis to you?" Mush repeated firmly. Racetrack shrugged, not willing himself to answer.

Just then Jack walked through the door. Hardly anyone looked up to greet him.

"Race, you gotta tell us. We'll soak the sucker for ya," Specs said with an angry gleam in his eyes. Jack shut the door behind him quickly before walking to the group of newsies.

"What happened here?" Jack asked in a concerned tone, kneeling down beside Racetrack.

"Someone beat him up," Skittery volunteered. Jack gave him a dry look.

"He won't tell us who did it," Mush said with irritation.

"Get him some ice," Jack ordered after observing his friend's injuries. Boots, who had been watching the whole time, raced out of the room.

"Who did it?" Jack asked calmly, helping Racetrack said up. Racetrack didn't say anything. The last thing he wanted was for Jack to get angry and go beat up Spot. All hell would break loose.

He started to hobble over to the stairs. Jack caught up with him.

"Race..." he said, staring him in the eye.

"I don't wanna to tell you, Cowboy. It'll just cause a big mess," Racetrack said quietly, putting a hand on the railing. This caused to Jack to look even more alarmed.

Boots brought forth a bag of ice. Racetrack nodded his thanks and held it up against his eye.

"I promise, I won't do anything stupid," Jack said with a convincing voice. Racetrack looked down for a moment. Jack did had a right to know.

"I was just walkin' back from da track when some guy comes up and attacks me. I realized it was Spot when he started using his cane as a weapon." Racetrack's voice faltered in the middle of his sentence. As expected, Jack looked confused and slightly hurt. The rest of the newsies in the room had heard.

"Why would he do that? We have an alliance!" Jack ran a hand through his hair. The newsies looked at each other with sagging shoulders.

"He ain't got no rights to do dat, Jack! We don't go beating up his newsies!" Kid Blink said angrily, his hands turning balling up into fists.

"Now, hold on," Jack said, holding up a hand. "He's gotta have a reason. And he's Spot, so I'm sure it's a good reason."

A ripple of agreement went throughout the room. Racetrack started climbing the stairs, his head throbbing in pain.

"Racetrack."

He turned at Jack's condemning voice.

"I didn't do nothin', I swear. He did say somethin' about Danny though," Racetrack said and then turned back to the stairs.

"What's Danny hafta ta do wid dis?" Specs asked, following the boys up the stairs and into the bunk room.

"Yeah, we don't even know Danny dat much," Mush said.

"I dunno. I haven't seen da kid around da track in awhile," Race said, collapsing on his bunk. He was thankful he had a bottom bunk.

Jack stood near him, his arms crossed and anger lighting his eyes. The newsies had also gathered around Racetrack in a tight circle.

"Jack, you gotta go to Brooklyn and soak-" Mush started to say, standing up. Jack pushed the newsie back down.

"Wait. I promised I'd think about this foist," Jack said, plopping on the floor. The newsies sat silently on the wooden floor.

"Look, we know Spot doesn't go around beating up people just for the heck of it, right?" Jack said. Some of newsies nodded and uttered their agreements.

"There must be a reason for his soakin' Racetrack, but we don't know what it is," Boots said. Jack nodded.

"So's, I'll go and talk to Spot. Talk," Jack concluded with a small, forced smile at Racetrack. The injured newsie nodded with an appreciative grin.

"You'll do fine, Jacky-boy. Just wish it was me goin' to talk to Brooklyn," Racetrack said. It wasn't that he was furious with Spot and wanted to go soak him himself, but Race's eye was swelling and his lip was double in size. He just wanted to know why. Besides, he wouldn't even threaten Spot if he had friends behind him.

Jack nodded with understanding. "Tell ya all 'bout when I get back, k?"

"And look for Danny. He probably has someting to do wit it," Racetrack added nervously before Jack left the room.

"You going now, Jack?" Mush asked, standing up. Jack turned, his hand on the doorknob.

"Why not?" Jack asked.

"I would let things cool down a lil," Specs suggested. Jack considered this for a moment.

"Yeah. I guess. But you two are comin' with me tomorrow after lunch, k?" Jack answered with a smirk.

Specs and Mush glanced at each other.

"Shoah," The boys said half heartedly.

Racetrack gave a laugh before leaning back against his pillow and pulling up a thin sheet.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

It had been a quiet afternoon at the Jacob's apartment. They had finished a small supper and were now scattered around the little room, each person interested in a hobby of some sort.

David was writing a letter of apology to Nathan. His hand moved effortlessly across the page while he expressed his thoughts and explained the behavior of Jack. He was so involved with the letter that he nearly jumped when Sarah came up behind him. She stared at his letter for a moment.

"I should be doing that, David," she said quietly, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"It doesn't matter. He's my friend," David replied, his hand pausing for a moment.

"Jack or Nathan?" Sarah asked, her brow creasing. David didn't answer but continued to write. Sarah moved to the other end of the table, sitting down in the wooden chair.

"Have you been talking to Jack lately?" Sarah asked hesitantly.

David looked up. "No."

"So he hasn't apologized?" she persisted.

David shook his head. "Why do you care, Sarah? He's not worth 2 seconds of your thoughts if he can't keep himself from exploding at the sight of another guy seeing you."

"Nathan isn't 'seeing me'! He's just a friend," Sarah replied in an annoyed tone.

"That's not what Kelly thinks," David said, folding the letter in 3 quarters. She looked down at her folded hands in her lap.

"I told him I didn't feel anything for Nathan and he still refused to apologize," Sarah said in a helpless voice.

"Yeah, but that was when he was in front of all the other newsies..." David said with a frown. He didn't want to defend Jack, but it made sense.

Sarah looked up. "That's right...everyone was watching us. Jack probably didn't want to appear weak or sensitive..." Sarah laughed in relief at having come back to a conclusion. She leaned back in the chair.

"That doesn't make what he did right, Sarah," David said warningly, standing up. Sarah deflated. "I've gotta go to bed, but you think about it." David let out a yawn before leaving the room.

Sarah remained, wanting some time to think over her problem. Putting her elbows on the table, her head collapsed in her hands. She knew she loved Jack. She had for a couple of months now. Jack loved her. What more was there? It was her fault. She shouldn't have given Jack a reason to doubt. If only she hadn't invited Jack over the same night Nathan was there. What a huge mistake that had been. But Jack could of at least apologized when she confronted him that day. Even if it was in front of all his newsies.

And what had come over Jack when he beat up Nathan in an alley? Why would he do that? Sarah couldn't see any real reason. Sure, Nathan had hung around her a little more than usual, but he hadn't said anything improper. And even if he had, Nathan had no idea about Jack back then. But wait, Nathan had been sort of cruel to Jack with his little comments about school and being a newsie. Maybe Jack really was bothered by something other than her. What did he say at the distribution center? She recalled something about his not being a student, but a leader and that was more important. The conversation flooded back to her memory. Was he bothered by the fact that Nathan could be a rank higher than himself? Or was he bothered by the fact that he thought she had more respect for someone for went to school?

She groaned, cupping her face with her hand. She couldn't figure Jack out. She couldn't make sense of anything.

"I just need to talk to him," she whispered to herself, rising from the chair. Everyone had gone to bed and the apartment had grown quiet. Sarah didn't even bother to brush her hair that night. Her mind overworked and spirits downcast, her head hit the pillow and she was out.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews and story alerts!

Ryan Brooklyn – Lol. I've gotten a lot of 'Hmm interesting's.

lilnewsie77 – Thanks for sticking with my story! Danny is stupid, but mostly misunderstood. :D

Reviews are loverly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the original Newsies characters.

Jack pushed away his plate and threw the napkin on the table

"You boys ready to go?" he asked, standing up out of the chair. It was noon and the newsies were on lunch break. Racetrack had decided he was up to selling today. Though he had a bruised eye and swollen lip, he still said he felt peachy.

Specs and Mush sucked up their petty fears and nodded.

"Now, you'se guys don't get in any fights," Racetrack warned teasingly. They didn't laugh.

"Yeah, we might not see you again if ya do," Skittery called from the end of the table. Jack smirked while waiting by the door.

Mush gave Skittery a glare as the threesome exited the diner.

"How many times have you guys actually been to Brooklyn?" Jack asked he walked down an alley that was part of the route.

"Probably once or twice. Usually you just got to check up with Spot," Mush replied, grabbing a stick that was leaning against a garbage can.

Specs nodded. "And the time we has been was when we'se were attackin' dem," he said with a frown.

Jack smiled. "I remember that. We always got soaked pretty good 'cause of dose darn slingshots."

Mush grimaced at the memories. "I like havin' a alliance with em much better."

Specs nodded in agreement, kicking a can out of his way. They walked in silence for more than half the way, each of them absorbed in their own thoughts.

"Jack, are you really afraid of Spot?" Mush asked out of the blue. Jack shrugged.

"Nah. We're more like friends than enemies," he replied. Specs looked at him with doubt.

"Why should we be afraid of him then?" Mush asked.

"Who said you hafta be afraid of him?" Jack asked, giving Mush a sideway glance. "Just respect him for who he is."

Jack looked ahead, shading his eyes with a hand. "'Sides, you should do that with everyone. Spot earns whatever people say and feel about him, just like anyone else."

"He's kind of over-rated, isn't he?," Specs mused. Jack laughed.

"In some ways," he replied.

"So's, you got any idea of what Spot's up too?" Mush asked, changing the subject.

"I dunno. Just hope it ain't nothing serious like him going against 'Hattan," Jack replied with a creased brow.

"That'd be kind of random," Specs remarked.

"What if he gives a stupid reason for beating up Race?" Mush questioned, a brief flame of anger lighting up his eyes.

"Well then I gave you full permission to go at 'im with your fists," Jack said with a smug smile and adding, "At your own risk, of course."

Mush grinned at this.

"No thanks. I like my face the way it is," Specs said with a shudder.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Danny sat down on a wooden box and watched as Spot purchased his papers. His feet danced on the cobblestone as he waited. He was anxious. And not just to sell papers.

"Come on," Spot said while passing him. Danny jumped up and followed after him.

"Where'd ya go last night, Spot?" Danny asked, gripping his newspapers tighter. Spot glanced to the left and then to the right. He didn't say anything.

"Come on, Spot. Tell me!" Danny cried. He felt like he was going to barf from his guilty conscience.

"I went ta 'Hattan," Spot replied evenly. Danny swallowed at his reply.

"So's, I was thinking 'bout what you said last night, Danny," Spot then said casually. Danny looked up in fright. "Do you think the rest of Manhattan thinks of me the way Race thinks of me?" he continued in a thoughtful manner, sticking a cigar in his mouth.

Danny shook his head. "No, no," he quickly replied. Spot gave him a questioning look by didn't say anything to continue the conversation.

The two boys went on selling as the morning progressed. The streets of Brooklyn were packed as folks hurried to work and shopped at the street vendors. Danny couldn't stand the noises. It seemed like ten people were yelling ten different things, Spot being the only newsie. There was laughter and screaming, and people running and knocking over things. It was worse than Manhattan. Danny kept near Spot, trying to watch everything around him at once while Spot hawked.

"Spot!" he heard someone yell from behind. Danny glanced over his shoulder. Spot was dishing out papers to two customers when Jack and two other newsie boys were approaching them. Danny stared at the boys in horror. When Spot had finished, he turned to patiently waiting newsies.

"Hey Jack," Spot greeted, spitting in his hand then holding it out. Jack took one glance at the his hand and then looked up with a glare. Spot pulled back his hand, insulted.

Jack gave a dark glance in Danny's direction who took a step back with his eyes wide.

"Oh, dat's right. You came to apologize," Spot remembered, setting down his papers. His smile had disappeared. "It would been nice if Racetrack had decided to show his face."

Jack crossed his arms. "He would of. Just can't walk at da moment," he said icily.

"Serves him right," Spot said, fingering his cane. Danny watched as Jack took a step forward with a balled fist, but quickly restrained himself, forcing his fist down at his side. Spot looked up and eyed the two newsies behind Jack. Danny faintly remembered one being Mush and the other being called something like Glasses.

They met Spot's gaze boldly.

"So? You just don't go beating people up!" Jack said, prodding for an answer.

"Oh really? Look who's talkin'," Spot replied with a humored smile. This time Mush put a hand on Jack's arm to hold him back.

"What'd Racetrack ever do to you?" Jack asked through gritted teeth. That's when Spot started look irriated. He stood up straighter.

"I won't have anyone callin' me a wimp, even if its one of your boys," Brooklyn fumed, taking a step closer and jabbing his cane into Jack's chest.

"And who said dat?" Jack also took a step forward, leaving little room between the two leaders. Spot took a step back with a sneer on his lips. He pointed his cane in Danny's direction. Their gazes flew to the little boy with brown bangs covering his fawn-like eyes and red heating his face.

"I was wonderin' what you were doin' in Brooklyn, you little rat," Jack said grimly. Mush wasn't holding back Jack now and Danny debated if he should make a run for it. But instead, fear locked his legs and he could do nothing but stare up at the cowboy as he approached with determined steps. This was not suppose to happen, this was definitely not suppose to happen.

"Now, hold up, Jacky-boy. Danny was just informin' me of what really goes on in Manhattan. Nothin' wrong wid dat," Spot in a low tone, pushing Jack back with the cane across his chest. Jack looked over at Spot with irritation, pushing away the cane as it were an annoying fly.

"I'd like ta know what the brat said about us," Mush spoke up now. Glasses nodded, his eyes staring Danny down like he was an ant roasting on the sidewalk. Danny did a quick scan around the circle. They were all expecting an answer. His eyes rested on Spot. He gave a encouraging nod. Danny sucked in a breath, forcing his face to contort into a stuck-up expression.

"I was just tellin' him about how you guys all talk bad about Brooklyn," he replied simply, keeping his fear at bay. His mother really should of took him to Broadway with her.

"That's a lie, and you know it!" Specs burst out.

"You believe this kid?!" Jack said incredulously, turning to Spot.

"Why shouldn't I?" Spot riposted, crossing his arms.

"Uh, maybe because he only spent one day with us!" Mush replied hotly, looking at Danny maliciously.

"Only one day?" Spot repeated with a frown, tapping his cane against his open palm.

"What did he say to you, Spot?" Jack demanded, not even willing himself to look at Danny in case he lost his temper completely.

"He just repeated some stuff that Racetrack said. Making fun of me," Spot said slowly, as if it were embarrassing.

"And so you went to go beat up Racetrack? Just because of what some street rat said to ya?!"

"Well, 'cuse me, but someone gotta teach your boys some respect!" Spot sneered suddenly. Danny looked around for a place to hide. The Manhattan newsies seemed about ready to slit somebody's throat.

"My boys give respect where respect is due!" Jack spat.

"I ain't got time for this. You come back when you'se ready to apologize for your boys and your attitude," Spot said, spitting on the ground.

"We ain't got nothing to say sorry for!" Jack exclaimed while Spot turned on his heel. "You're the one who has to apologize!" Danny knew it was only Jack's pride that kept him there with his newsies instead of chasing after Spot.

"Spot, wait!" Specs called hesitantly. Spot kept walking, Danny nervously on his tail. "We gotta figure this out!" Specs tried again. Brooklyn stopped briefly and turned with a look of contempt on his face. His chin jutted out in rebellion as he turned and ambled on. When Spot's back was turned, Danny looked behind him again and stuck out his tongue at the trio of newsies. Specs lunged after the boy, but Jack grabbed him before he could reach Danny. He smiled and waved pleasantly at Jack before turning and walking back to their selling spot with Spot.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

It had been a couple of days since Racetrack's "meeting" with Spot. He knew that Jack and a couple other newsies had gone to see the Brooklyn leader, but no one had enlightened him with the outcome of the visit. Racetrack was half-afraid to ask.

Finally, on the morning of the third day, Racetrack decided to make the inquiry. Since he hadn't made it to the races, he woke up with the rest of the newsies. Of course, Jack was gone, so Racetrack decided to ask Specs instead. He approached the glass-eyed newsie just as he was brushing out his hair.

"Heya, Race," Specs said with a smile. He was looking at Race's reflection in the mirror as he talked.

"So's, Specs, what happened with Spot?" Racetrack asked after some hesitation. Spec's smile disappeared as he put down the small comb.

"Nothing good, I'll tell ya dat much," Specs sighed and put on his cap. "Spot says we-well...you were talking trash about him." Racetrack looked at Specs with disbelief written all over his face.

"It's true. He says dat he needed to teach you some respect for Brooklyn. Dat's why he went and beat you up." Specs was watching closely for his friend's reaction. Racetrack ran a hand through his dark brown hair.

"You believe him, Specs?" he asked quietly, looking the other newsie in the eye. Worry creased Racetrack's brow.

"I dunno...I mean, you were joking about whatever you said, right?" Specs replied, avoiding Racetrack's eyes.

"Of course!" Racetrack cried. Several of the other boys looked over to the pair. "You know I wouldn't talk bad about Spot in a serious way." Racetrack could feel his defenses rising.

"Dat's not what Danny says..." Specs muttered in reply. Racetrack stared at him.

"Dan-Danny was there?" he stuttered.

"The runt ran to the Brooklyn newsies and told em everyting you said." Specs grunted. "Why? I have no idea..." he added, rolling his eyes. Racetrack swallowed a rising lump in his throat.

"Everything?" he whispered, clutching the counter top.

"Yep. Probably blew up what you said too," Specs replied. He tugged down on his hat with a sigh. "Well, I'se gots to go," Specs then said. He thumped Racetrack on the back. "Dun worry about dis, Race. It'll blow over soon enough." Specs gave him a reassuring smile before leaving the washroom. Racetrack had barely heard him. His mind was running over every single little thing that he had said to Danny in the past. Then, something struck him.

"The bet..." Racetrack said to himself. He drew in a sharp breath. Their alliance with Brooklyn was dissolved because Racetrack had decided to take advantage of a stupid kid? He walked slowly out of the washroom. His eyes were glazed over in thought.

Why hadn't Jack said anything about it? It was all Racetrack's fault and Jack hadn't even come to question him.

"Jack doesn't...know." Racetrack sat on his bunk and put his head in his hands. If Jack had known, Racetrack would of been dead by now. Musing, he hardly noticed the sound of the other newsies exiting the room. His mind couldn't process the fact that he also needed to go buy his papers. No, that was the least of his worries at the moment. He flopped back on the mattress. His eyes stared up at the bunk above his own. What should he do? If he didn't tell Jack, then the cowboy would only assume that Danny was getting back at him for the night Danny had tried to stay at the lodging house. Then surely, just as Specs said, things would blow over soon. Racetrack was going to sigh with relief, but then another horrible thought occurred. What if Danny had already told Spot of the bet? Then Jack would know eventually. Why would Danny do that though? Racetrack knew Spot would never endorse something like a kid just trying to get revenge. _Then_ he let out a breath of relief. He stood up off the bed and straightened out his vest. The bunk room was now deserted. His footsteps resounded as went down the stairs. All the way to the distribution center, Racetrack tried to push away the nagging feelings of doubt and convince himself that what he was doing was the right thing. '_Stop it, Race. As long as you keep your big mouth shut, things will be fine_.' he thought determinedly. He then put on a happy and carefree front as he ambled over to the line of newsboys.

As the unorganized line preceded, Racetrack ended up next to David. Racetrack noticed that Les wasn't with his brother for once. He looked to the very back of the line and saw the kid playing with a small group of younger newsies.

"How ya doing, Davey?" Racetrack inquired, looking back at David now. David tore his gaze away from the entrance of the center where Jack was. He shrugged carelessly. "Fine," was all he muttered.

"Did you guys ever work things out?" Racetrack's question startled David. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"We don't have anything to work out," David replied, once more glancing at Jack. The cowboy was talking in low tones to Mush. Race was curious as to what they were saying, but focused his attention on David.

"It hasn't got anything to do with me, Racetrack. It's all between Sarah and him." David answered and moved forward a couple steps with the line.

"Yeah, but you and Jack were friends before all that happened and now you two hardly talk to each other." Racetrack hated the way David smiled at his concern.

"I can't be friends with someone who hurts my sister, Higgins," David replied before stepping up to buy his papers. Racetrack gave him a flat glare.

"What about everything he did for her during the strike?" Racetrack called after David when he had bought his own papers. Racetrack's loud voice caused many heads to turn, including Kelly's. Racetrack tried to catch up with David, but the boy's long legs were too fast and soon Racetrack was left alone in the distribution center with Jack and a few other newsies staring curiously at him. When Racetrack strode past the cowboy angrily, he said before Jack could say anything, "I know! I know! Just stay out of your business." Jack smiled half-heartedly and tagged after the gambler.

"I wasn't gonna say that," Jack replied, socking Racetrack in the arm playfully.

Racetrack looked over at his friend. "Then what were ya gonna say?"

Jack smirked. "Okay, maybe I was gonna say that," here Racetrack rolled his eyes, "but, I should say thanks for sticking up for me."

"Darn right." Racetrack shook his head with a small laugh. His smile slowly faded, though, as they continued down the road in silence. Jack was keeping his head down, but Racetrack knew he was eager to know what David had said. '_Eager with dread_," thought Racetrack.

"He said that he can't be friends with someone who hurts his sister, Jack," he said finally, breaking the silence between them. Jack looked up slowly. Race wished he hadn't of said anything, for the heartbreak was clear in Jack's eyes.

"Sorry, Jack... I-"

"First Spot, now this," Jack interrupted in a tired voice. A pang of guilt hit Race in the stomach. Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Race looked down at his worn out boots and clamped his mouth shut.

"Just when things start lookin' good, everything explodes on me." Jack's laugh was dry and mocking. "Whadda ya think happened with that Danny kid?" Jack's questioned. "I said I was sorry for yelling at him!" Racetrack swallowed. "You spent a lot of time with him, Higgins. What went down?" Jack tossed him a sudden accusing glare. Racetrack knew Jack was mad whenever he would call him Higgins. The thing was, Race didn't know if Jack was really mad at him or if hearing what Davod had said had put him in a foul mood. Either way, it was Racetrack's fault.

"He's just a callow kid, Jack. I'm sure he'll realize that what's he doing is wrong soon," Racetrack lied with a false smile and then directed his eyes in front of him. Although he and Jack had been friends for a long time, Jack still never knew when Racetrack was lying. Lying was one of Race's many talents that came in handy with gambling and card games, but one that he didn't usually use around his friends and fellow newsies. Jack studied his face for a moment.

"You're probably right. I shouldn't worry about Spot. He's got a good head on his shoulders," Jack finally said. Race nodded slowly in agreement and then waved goodbye as the two departed to their own selling spots; one with an assured attitude about him and the other with a guilt-heavy heart.

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Lol, this poor chapter has undergone so many revisions.

Just'd like to thank...

lilnewsie77! Yay! If anything, I'm glad you're reading this story and enjoying it. :D

Remember, reviews are loverly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the original Newsie characters.

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"Eh! After your done der, make sure you muck out stall two!" the stable manager called after him. Danny barely heard him as he walked over to rusty old water pump. Once more, he pushed the handle up and down, water gushing into the metal bucket.

He slowly picked up the heavy bucket and carried it over to another stall. Grimacing, he looked at the empty bucket that hung on the stall doors. He really didn't have the strength to pick up his bucket of water and then dump it into the empty bucket. He pondered what he should for a moment. An idea came to mind. Danny quickly took the empty bucket off the hook and then replaced it with the water filled bucket.

"Now why didn't I think of that before?" he muttered to himself, taking the empty bucket back over to the water pump. After all the buckets he had refilled, he had never once considered this option. Just as he was switching another bucket full of water for a empty bucket, Danny heard the sound of voices approaching.

"I get my money back!"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because it's the rules!"

"Oh, so you have a rule book now, eh?!"

He caught glimpse of man leading a limping horse towards the stable and an angered boy trailing after him.

"Racetrack," Danny whispered to himself with swallow, recognizing him. In haste, Danny threw the bucket down, the water splashing everywhere. He made a dash for the ladder that led up to the hayloft. He clambered up the ladder, reaching the top right before Racetrack and the man entered the stables. Danny jumped behind a tower of hay bales, peaking out every so often to look below him at the two persons.

The man led the horse into a stall.

"I'm sorry, but there is no rule that requires me to give you your money back!" the man said, very annoyed.

Racetrack huffed and leaned against a stall door with his arms crossed.

The man left the stables shortly after, leaving Racetrack alone with the wounded horse.

"Wait!" Racetrack cried, stopping the man. He turned.

"Do you happen to know if a kid named Danny still works here?" he asked, a hopeful look lighting his face.

Danny's eyes went wide, ducking behind the bale. Had Racetrack seen him?

Danny didn't hear a reply right away. It was as if the man was mentally going through the names of people who worked here.

'_Please, please, don't remember me_,' Danny thought pleadingly.

"Hm, maybe. Is he a short thing?" the man asked. Danny imagined him scratching his head.

"Yep," came Racetrack's short answer. Danny looked around the hayloft quickly, planning an escape in case Racetrack came looking for him.

"Yeah, we have a boy named Danny. Think he's come in every other day or so. Does the odd jobs, ya know?"

"Ah. Thanks," Racetrack replied. Danny could hear a smile in a his voice. The sound of retreating footsteps convinced Danny that the man had left.

He took a swift look down at the floor. Racetrack was no where to be seen.

Danny sighed with relief, relaxing against the stiff bale. What did Racetrack want with him?

As he climbed back down the ladder, he came to the conclusion that Racetrack still wanted to get back at him or else Jack wanted Racetrack to spy on him.

After all, once you thought about it, Danny really was the cause of this disagreement between Spot and Jack. No doubt Jack would want to know where he was and Racetrack would more than likely spy for his leader. But how would Racetrack know that Danny had left the Brooklyn newsies so soon?

He meandered over to the water pump, his left hand gripping another bucket. He stared at the contraption for a moment.

His mind was whirling with new thoughts and ideas. He couldn't hide from the Manhattan newsie group forever. No, he couldn't be afraid of them forever either. And with Brooklyn on his side...who could stop him from doing what he wanted?

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Later that afternoon, when the sky was gray and overcast, Sarah exited the apartment building. She didn't care what Mama said or what David predicted about the weather, she was getting out of that room and taking a walk. Her back had been bent over lace all morning and the apartment was growing humid in the late summer heat. Besides, she needed some thinking time.

Sarah went in the opposite direction of the newsboy's lodging house and tried to stick to the main roads. She wanted no chance of running into any newsboy of Jack's, much less Jack himself. None the less, she heard the voices of old and young boys hawking the dramatic headlines as she picked her way through a busy road.

Sarah soon realized she couldn't even begin to think in a place as hectic as this, so she decided to make a turn down a fairly large alley way. She knew that strangers and dangers lurked these places, but it was still daylight and she could only see a couple of boys playing with some dice. As she went further into alley, the noise was muted and she could finally process some thoughts.

Nathan was coming over again tonight. Mama would probably cook up something delicious from their small amount of provisions. Even though they didn't have a lot of money, Mama could always keep company. That was one trait from her Mama, along with many others, that Sarah wanted to carry over into her own marriage.

Turning down another alley bend, Sarah's feet stopped cold.

"I bought it! It's mine!" A little colored boy cowered in a dark alley corner while an older boy was taking threatening steps towards the boy. Sarah could barely see a loaf of bread in the small hands.

"You stole it," Sarah could hear the boy say, although his back was turned to her. The smaller boy let out a whimper, his eyes darting around the area for a way of escape. As the the older boy was about to snatch the bread, the boy's eyes landed on Sarah.

"Help!" he screamed and dodged the teenager's hands. The older boy turned to see who else was in the alley, but Sarah was faster. She had grabbed a piece of splintered wood and now had it raised in the air. Without thinking twice, as the boy turned, she slammed the flat wood on the boys head with all the strength that possessed her, along with some added adrenaline. The boy, surprised, stumbled back on the ground. Sarah let out a breath, dropped the wooden board, and looked around for the small boy. He was no where in sight. Seeing the boy wasn't entirely as unconscious as Sarah had hoped for, she quickly turned on her heel and ran down the alley. Her fear began to increase as she heard pounding footsteps following her. She threw a glance over her shoulder and saw the boy tagging after her while rubbing his head. Sarah drew in a sharp breath and increased her speed. She picked up her skirt while she turned down another alley. A group of older boys crowded in this alley and Sarah plucked up all her courage to force herself through them. She ignored their disturbing comments and whistles while pushing them aside. Once she had passed the boys, she looked back to see if the boy was still following her. She couldn't pick him out among all the other boys, but she kept running. Running until her legs felt like they would give out from under her. Past alleys, past boys, past little kids, past cats, past garbage, and past homeless adults in doorways she ran. Deeper and deeper into the maze of alleys she found herself. She didn't even know what part of Manhattan she was at now. Finally she dared to look behind her once again. He wasn't there. No one was. Suddenly, she felt something catch on the toe of boot. Before she knew what was happening, she had tripped and fallen to the cobblestone ground. Her head hit the alley floor was a heavy thud. Pain echoed through whole body. Looking up, she was face to face with the boy whose was about her age.

"Gotchya," he whispered with a grin that showed a full set of grimy teeth. Sarah squeezed her eyes shut at the stench of his breath. When she opened them again, he was gone. Breathing heavily with fright, exhaustion, and pain, she tried to sit up. Her ankle hurt like crazy and when she tried to stand, she collapsed right back to the ground. She let out a moan of pain and relaxed on the alley floor.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she said to herself in angry volumes, pushing a hand up her forehead. Why had she went for a walk down the alleys? What had she been thinking? She rubbed her head as she tried to push herself up again, but to no avail.

"Can't walk and I'm stuck in this stupid alley," Sarah muttered under her breath. She leaned against a brick wall for support. Then suddenly, the clouds let their rain fall. The small droplets on Sarah's face quickly turned to a pouring onslaught.

Having read one too many books, Sarah cried with her face lifted to the sky, "Why me?!" Her salty tears mixed with the rain as it continued it's downfall. She had to get back to the apartment to help Mama with dinner. But how? She couldn't walk and no one would ever find her in the mess of New York City alleys.

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Earlier afternoon, when the sun was still blazing brightly and the market street was jammed packed, Kid Blink was standing on a dilapidated barrel while practically screaming the headline. The kid had a pair of lungs that came in handy on busy days like this. There was so much bustle in the street that Blink felt like he had to get another barrel to stand on. Although he often wore out his lungs on these kind of days, he sold a lot of papers. They were going so fast that Kid Blink barely had time to yell out the headline while collecting pennies. After a pair of customers had just walked away, Blink shouted the words once more. And then once more. He frowned. Where had those eager buying customers gone? Blink continued with his hollering for a good five minutes. Only one person approached him for a paper. He looked down the road when he thought he heard another boy calling out the headline. It was a different, better title. His fists balled up. Who was selling on his street?

With a very irritated expression, Kid Blink raced down the other side of the street where a small group of customers had gathered around one newsie. He couldn't see the boy.

"Hey!" he called. A few of the people barely turned to glance at him. Blink shoved his way past them. The boy, who had only a handful of papers, briefly glanced at Kid Blink with a wicked smile. He quickly hid his face with his hat. Blink thought he looked familiar.

"This is /my/ selling spot!" Kid Blink nearly shouted in his face. The boy ignored him while collecting the last of his pennies. Kid Blink was about to do something drastic when the newsie suddenly took off at a run down the road.

"You run!" Blink hollered after the escaping newsie. "Don't you come back!"

He didn't bother to chase after him, due to the fact that he still had a few papers to sell. Kid Blink spit on the ground before marching back over to his barrel.

"He must be new to the whole biz or else he wouldn't of done that..." he muttered to himself. "If I ever see that rat at the World Distribution Center, I'll tell him something about selling spots." Blink climbed back onto the barrel in a foul mood. Calling out the headline, his steady stream of customers soon returned.

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It was the feeling you got when you knew someone was watching you that made Mush turn to look behind him. No one was there. At least, no one that looked like he was watching Mush. Shuddering, he tried once more to sell his papers. He couldn't shake the feeling though. Someone was watching him, but why? When he turned to look again, he caught a young boy peeping over a barrel and watching him. When he realized that Mush had seen him, the boy quickly ducked behind the fat wooden object. Mush frowned. He walked over to the barrel and looked behind it. The boy wasn't there. Shrugging, he went back to his spelling spot. Just as he was about to hawk another headline, something small and hard hit him squarely between the shoulder blades. He yowled in pain and quickly spun around to catch the attacker. He only saw the boy, who had been looking at him, running down the street in mad speed. Mush caught a glimpse of a slingshot in his small hand. He cursed under his breath, but didn't pursue the kid. After all, he could handle a stupid prank. Mush kicked a old crate out of the way in frustration as he went to pick up the papers he had dropped. Since when had his reputation dropped so low that a mere kid could pick on him?

"I should of gone after him," Mush muttered to himself. But it was too late now and he needed to finish selling.

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That afternoon, after Race had finished selling off all his papers and he had spent some time wandering around City Hall Park, he hesitantly decided to head for the Brooklyn Bridge. There was supposedly a big race going on tonight and Racetrack really didn't want to miss it. Especially since his favorite horse was participating. Although his wanting to attend a race didn't usually present itself as a problem, tonight it did. He didn't know if Danny would be there or not. And he didn't know if he would run into Spot or not. He wasn't that worried about Danny. In fact, Racetrack had quite a few things to say to the kid. But Spot...Well, Racetrack really didn't want to see Spot tonight.

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It was a long walk, as it usually was, but Racetrack was finally near the end of the bridge that broke off into Brooklyn. He walked over to the edge of the bridge one last time, looking down at the calm river below him. Racetrack dug into his pocket and grabbed a rock he had taken from the park. After he had thrown the rock down with his might, he watched it until he couldn't see it anymore. He barely heard the splash that rock made when it entered the water. It was a long drop... Racetrack shuddered and walked away from the rail. He dodged a wagon as it was heading down the bridge.

At last, he put his own two feet on Brooklyn ground. Humming a song, he began walking down Water Street in order to reach Everit. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hadn't realized the two guys who had been following him until one of them tapped him on the shoulder. Racetrack, startled, turned around quickly. His surprise didn't fade when he realized they were Spot's newsies.

"Yes?" Racetrack asked. He pretended to be annoyed by scrunching up his nose and brushing off his shoulder.

"Whadda ya doin' in Brooklyn?" one of them asked gruffly. They were big boys with shoulders built like a heavy wooden box. All Spot's boys seemed to be bigger than Spot himself. Racetrack took off his hat and scratched his head.

"Gee, I dunno, I thought I'd catch a race tonight. Whadda about you guys?" Racetrack asked in a pleasant and casual tone. The boy with suspenders that looked too small took a threatening step forward.

"We're here to keep you out," he snarled, pushing Racetrack back in the direction of the bridge. Racetrack resisted and pulled away from the guy.

"Hey, you don't own Brooklyn. And I got rights from Mr.Teddy hisself that says I can come and go as I please," Racetrack said stubbornly and began to walk again. One of the boys grabbed him by the shirt.

"I don't care what Roosevelt says. I got my orders from Spot," the boy hissed in his ear and threw him back towards the bridge. Racetrack stumbled on the ground, but regained his balance before falling on the cobblestone. Race glared at the boys. They crossed their arms and gave him a look that dared him to make another move. Grumbling under his breath in defeat, Racetrack bent down to pick up his hat and then reluctantly turned back to the bridge. He couldn't push Brooklyn any further, or else Jack would just have another reason to slit Racetrack's throat.

"Don't come back till your wuss of a leader apologizes!" One of the boys called with a triumphant chuckle. Racetrack looked over his shoulder and shot the boys a glare. He jammed his hat on his head and cursed as he began his long walk back over to Manhattan.

Why hadn't he thought about this? Of course, Spot wouldn't let him in Brooklyn, much less near Sheepshead Bay. The Brooklyn leader knew Racetrack too well. Spot knew how to push his buttons.

"Of all nights..." Racetrack muttered to himself, spitting over the bridge and into the water below. Jack had to go and talk to Spot again. Racetrack would have to go to Sheepshead sometime. The lousy track in Manhattan just wasn't as exciting or big as the one in Brooklyn.

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A/N: Sorry if you got confused with the time in this chapter. It has to be that way for the next chapter.

Thanks for the reviews! I always look forward to them!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: I still don't own the newsies. D:

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The sun was just beginning set when a herd of newsies stormed into the lodging house. It was pouring rain and the newsboys were soaked to their socks.

"Dangit, Jack. Why did it hafta rain? I had only ten more papes left! Just ten!" Kid Blink ranted while plowing up the stairs next to Jack.

"No one's stopping you from selling," Jack replied with a smile. Blink rolled his eyes and then passed him on the stairs. When Jack entered the bunk room, many of the newsies who had extra clothes were changing into a dry set.

"Where's Racetrack?" Boots wandered over and asked. Jack was slipping on a fresh shirt.

"Probably still at the track. He left after lunch," Jack answered. Boots looked disappointed.

"Drat. And dis was da poifect time to teach me how to play poker." Boots pulled off his dripping wet hat and twisted it.

"Hey, even I can teach you dat," Jack pointed out before plopping down on his bunk with a dime paperback in his hand.

"But Racetrack's the best! I gotta learn from him to beat all you'se guys," Boots protested, taking the book out of Jack's hand.

"You're still reading dese ol' things?" Boots said, scrunching up his nose. Jack snatched it back.

"Only on rainy days," he replied, jutting out his chin. Boots laughed and then walked away while shaking his head.

The newsies continued their evening in a bored manner as the rain pounded the rooftop and the window pane was blurred with droplets. Occasionally, a roar of victory would arise from the circle of newsies playing poker, but other than that, the noise level was low. The dreary weather seemed to bring down everyone's spirits.

Just as Jack was turning another page of his book, the lodging door room burst open. Nearly half the newsies jumped at the sudden sound. In stormed a soaking David.

"Sarah's missing!" he cried, his breath ragged. Silence filled the room for a moment as the newsies looked questionably at David who was trying to catch his breath. Jack sat up in his bunk in alarm. He didn't notice Nathan slip into the room behind David.

"Missing? What do ya mean, Dave?" Jack asked, coming over the boy.

"She...She went out for a walk earlier this afternoon and hasn't returned..." he panted, leaning against the wall. Obviously, he had ran all the way.

"I tried looking for her, but I can't find her without getting lost myself," David added. He was trying to squeeze the water out of his shirt now. Jack turned around to his newsies.

"We gotta send out a search team. All over Manhattan. Maybe even Queens," Jack announced to the newsies.

"Jack- In da rain?" Snipeshooter asked, standing up from the poker circle.

Jack's eyes went wide with realization. "She's out der in da rain?"

David nodded. "Please, she needs your guys' help!" he asked, looking desperately at the newsies now.

Jack's pulse raced as the feeling of doom settled in his stomach. He reached for the doorknob, but someone caught his wrist. He looked up and was surprised to see blue-eyed Nathan standing there.

"I'm going with you," he said. Jack could see the concern in the boy's eyes too.

"No. You couldn't keep up," Jack spat and then flung open the door. So what if Nathan did really care for Sarah, Jack wasn't about to become 'search buddies' with him.

As Jack padded down the stairs, he heard Nathan following him over the loud voice of David organizing search teams.

"Nathan, look, we'll cover more ground if we split up," Jack tried to reason when he hit the streets.

"Fine," Nathan agreed. "I'll go down here and search south Manhattan."

Jack laughed. "Not wid your clothes. I'll take south, you take north." Nathan gave him a disgusted look and then started walking away.

"Don't get lost!" Jack cried after him with a chuckle. It would be a shame if he got lost in the process of finding someone else. And he might not have that big of a search party going for him.

Jack turned on a heel in the opposite direction. The rain still pounding down and the thunder still making its music, he set out for what he hoped to be a short hunt.

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Nathan drew his thin coat closer to his body as he marched down a narrow alley. He cupped his hand above his forehead in effort to stop the rain from preventing his vision. His eyes searched the alley. No one was here. Not even a homeless adult or starving child. Nathan reasoned that even they were smart enough to run for cover when the rain fell.

Nathan trudged down alleyway after alleyway, his eyes always hopeful for the sight of Sarah lying in one. His ears heard the distant sound of newsies shouting her name over and over again. As he plodded on, he began to lose track of time and feeling. His toes had grown numb because of the sopping wet socks and shoes that covered them. His teeth were chattering and he was sure his lips had turned blue. None the less, he pushed on, driven by a feeling in his gut. He didn't know what that feeling was, but he had told Jack Kelly it was love. He had told his father it was just interest. And he had told David it was a petty attraction. But what had he told his heart? No, what was his heart telling him?

His cold feet paused for a moment and he clenched his fists. "Sarah!" Nathan called, lifting his face to greet the rain. Only a rumble of thunder replied. He dropped his head and plowed forward.

The next time Nathan stopped in his searching, he pulled out his silver chain watch with a shaking hand. A whole hour had passed and Nathan could still hear the newsboys calling out for Sarah. His shoulders sagged in defeat. He couldn't look down another alleyway without collapsing or developing pneumonia.

So, it was with chattering teeth and feet that seemed no longer existent that Nathan left the alley maze and turned onto a main road. He walked slowly in the direction that he hoped the Jacob's place belonged.

He hadn't found Sarah and that was that. He didn't have the lungs of a newsboy to call out something for hours or even the street endurance to walk for hours. He wasn't like that. He was Nathan, son of a wealthy businessman. Let Jack Kelly or some other newsboy find Sarah. At least he had a big warm house and delicious meal waiting for him at home.

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It was Mrs. Jacobs who opened the door to his long and slow knock. She gasped at the sight of him, but Nathan didn't hear her as he staggered into the warm room.

"You didn't find her?" she asked when he plopped down at the kitchen table. He shook his head and began peeling off his shoes and socks. Mrs. Jacobs sighed with obvious disappointment.

"Here, come sit by the stove," she said, gesturing towards the center of the room where a stove stood. He gratefully transferred to sitting by the object of heat, sticking his feet out in front of him while squeezing water out of his shirt.

"I looked all over north Manhattan, Mrs. Jacobs. I couldn't find her anywhere," Nathan said. He felt as if he had to defend himself or give a reason of why he hadn't returned with Sarah. He heard Mrs. Jacobs putting away dinner dishes that had never been used.

"Thank you for helping, Nathan. That was generous of you to brave the rain for Sarah," she replied quietly. Nathan grimaced. Generous?

"I just hope one of those newsies find her. Heaven knows where that girl is," Mrs. Jacobs rambled on. "David told her it would rain, but she didn't listen. She hasn't been doing a lot of that lately. Listening. And I know it has something to do with Jack. I'm not stupid. He doesn't come over anymore like he used to."

Nathan turned around to look at her as she spoke. "He used to come over a lot?"

Mrs. Jacobs, having put away all the dishes, came over by the fire and sat down in an old rocking chair.

"Yes. All the time. It all started during the strike. Since then, David and Jack have become good friends and I know Sarah really likes him...but now I'm not so sure," she said, pushing the chair back and forth with her feet while staring into the fire. Nathan leaned back on his hands. Mrs. Jacobs then turned and smiled at Nathan. "Its so hard to keep up with my teenagers these days."

Nathan was looking down at his toes. So, there was a lot going on before he came to visit the Jacobs that night. A whole lot more. He didn't know Jack and David were friends...and how deep did Jack and Sarah's relationship really go? '_Well, it isn't my fault I didn't know all this. Heck, Sarah didn't say anything about Jack whenever we talked_,' Nathan thought to himself stubbornly. It wasn't his fault everything was turning out the way it was. Jack didn't have to blow up the way he did and David didn't have to take everything so seriously.

Eventually David, Les, and a couple other soaked newsies arrived at the apartment. Mrs. Jacobs was again disappointed but didn't lose hope, for David said that Jack and a few other newsies were still looking. Nathan decided to wait. He wanted to see that Sarah was found and safe. The newsies, however, returned to the lodging house, stating that they had to get up and sell papers in the morning. Mrs. Jacobs and David saw them to the door with a big thank you.

"Well. If Jack doesn't find her...I don't know what'll happen," David said with a sigh and plopped down on the bed. Mrs. Jacobs didn't say anything but continued with her furious knitting.

But Nathan looked up, surprised, when Les suddenly said with conviction, "Cowboy will find her."

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The sun had set a long time ago. The rain had lightened up a bit, but it was still coming down. Jack began to wonder if it would ever stop. He ran a hand through his long and dripping hair and leaned against an alley wall. Jack had been searching for hours without finding so much as a clue as to where Sarah was. No longer did he hear the faint calls of his friends. Had they given up or did someone already find her?

Jack's head hit the brick wall with exhaustion. The small raindrops cooled his face when he tilted his head upward and closed his eyes. As he stood there, he began to listen to the sound of the rain. The gentle noise it created as it hit the rooftops and cobblestone calmed Jack's frantic thoughts. Instead of imagining Sarah beaten up in some lonely alley, his thoughts began to drift back to the memories of the times Jack had spent on the rooftop with Sarah. It wasn't long ago that he had been conversing with Sarah about everything from the simple (or rather complex) ideas of life to the entertaining Greek myths.

Jack slid down the wall and sat on the ground, putting his head in his hands. Now that he thought about it, it really was his fault. Everything. It was his fault he couldn't hold Sarah in his arms anymore. It was his fault that he couldn't talk with David like old friends anymore. It was his fault that Les, who had looked up to him as a hero, would cower in David's shadow whenever he was around. Oh how fast his world had crumbled the night a little jealously had sparked a big temper.

He looked up as he heard someone begin to cry softly. Jack stood, looking around the alley warily. '_Bonehead. Sitting in an alley at night. Yet another stupid move_,' he scolded himself. Jack sank deeper into the shadows and waited for whoever else was in the alley to pass. But the sound of weeping continued with the rain and no one made an appearance.

Jack, dismissing all thoughts of vicious street thugs, emerged from the shadows to locate the sound of bitter crying.

As he peaked silently around a corner, Jack was shocked to see Sarah huddled against the wall, her pale arms clasped around her knees. The moonlight revealed not only rain, but tears streaming down her face.

"Sarah..." Jack exclaimed in a half whisper. He ran to her side and knelt down next to her, causing her to jump. When she turned to look at him, a weak expression of relief lit her face and she flung her arms around his neck. A thousand different thoughts flew through his mind, but only one reached his tongue.

"I'm sorry," he murmured in her ear. She pulled back slightly to search his eyes. A smile slowly spread across her lips. She lifted a hand to push away the bangs from his eyes. Jack caught her hand and kissed it lightly while looking up at her face.

"Please forgive me," he begged. Sarah's hand dropped and she looked down.

"No, Jack. Forgive me... I was being stupid taking things so seriously," she said quietly.

"Well, I'll forgive you if you forgive me," he said with a smile. She looked up, grinning.

"Deal."

He laughed and then looked to her ankle. "Are you okay?"

"No, I think I twisted it or something. But it's hard to stand."

Jack nodded with a furrowed brow and then offered her his arm. "Come on, let's get you home."

* * *

**A/N:** Awful ending. Bite me D: I didn't like it either. And sorry this one is kind of short!

Sorry it took so long to update. I've just been busy writing and plotting for some other stories; got distacted.

Thanks for the reviews!


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any original Newsie characters.

* * *

Nathan was sitting at the table, reading one of Mrs. Jacob's dime paperbacks, when Jack and Sarah burst into the apartment. Jack was supporting Sarah by having an arm secured around her shoulder, letting her lean into him as she walked slowly into the room with a limp. Despite their drenched and ragged appearances, both of them had a stupid grin on their face.

Jack led Sarah to the bed with Mrs. Jacobs and David hot on their heels. David was demanding an explanation while Mrs. Jacobs went to inspecting Sarah's foot as soon as the girl had laid down. Les, on the other hand, stared at Jack with amazement written all over his face. Nathan wondered if Les was shocked that his own prediction had come true.

Jack shook his head like a dog, sending droplets of water everywhere. Then, unexpectedly, he plopped down in a chair next to Nathan.

"Didn't think you'd be here," the newsie said. No hint of sarcasm or taunting could be found in his voice.

"How did you find her?" Nathan asked instead of replying to Jack's comment. He carefully folded the old pages of the book together.

Jack shrugged off the question and began to wring the water out of his shirt. Nathan watched him for a moment in silence. David was talking with Sarah and Les was falling asleep on the rug next to the stove.

"Nathan..." Jack said in a faltering tone that made Nathan look back at Jack. "I just wanted to say... sorry for that night in the alley and for the things I said."

Nathan looked down in his lap. Was Jack expecting an apology in return? Nathan flinched at the idea. He had done nothing wrong. He was the innocent one here. Nathan felt Jack looking at him; waiting.

Luckily, Sarah saved him from answering by calling him over to her bedside. Nathan didn't look at Jack as he stood and went over to her.

"Thank you so much for helping," she said, grasping his hand. Hers felt wet and cool to the touch.

"Awuh, it was nothing. Just glad you're back," Nathan replied. Sarah shook her head in disagreement.

"No really, Nathan. I appreciate it," she paused and sucked in a breath. "You're a great friend." A smile was pasted across her lips. A false smile, no doubt. Nathan knew one when he saw one. Nathan also knew how to take a hint. He dropped her hand.

"I should go," he mumbled, standing. Sarah nodded. Her smile was still there.

"Thanks again!" she said as he exited the apartment through the front door.

David stopped him, however, just as Nathan was climbing down the building's staircase.

"Hey, Nathan! Coming over Thursday?" he asked from the top of the stairs. Nathan paused and looked up at his old friend.

"Nah...I'm behind in schoolwork," he replied through lying teeth. David gave him a disappointed look.

"Well...I'll see you around then?" David questioned.

"Yeah. Next school semester. I'll look for you," Nathan teased.

David frowned in annoyance. "Maybe. Just maybe."

Nathan smiled faintly and then turned and plodded down the stairs with slow and heavy footsteps.

The battle was over and he had lost.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Racetrack flung open the lodging house door and quickly closed it as soon as he had stepped into the lobby. He cursed under his breath and pulled off his waterlogged shoes. Just his luck. Racetrack had traveled as far as the Brooklyn Bridge only to get rudely cut off and sent back home in the rain.

He was muttering something about Danny in angry tones when Specs came lumbering down the stairs. He stopped short a step when he saw Racetrack.

"Did ya find her?" Spec's excited voice caused Racetrack to jerk his head up.

He raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

Spec's shoulders sagged in disappointed. "Sarah. She's been missing for hours now," he replied sullenly.

Racetrack's eyebrow went up even higher. "Den what are you still doing around here?"

"Well, wid da rain 'nd all...Jack is still-" Specs began to explain, but Racetrack was already putting back on his boots.

"Ain't we a loyal bunch," Racetrack murmured and then headed for the door.

"Hey! Hit the Jacob's place foist! Maybe Jack already found her," Specs called after him. Racetrack gave a brief nod before shutting the door and plunging back into the dark, rainy night.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Specs was right. When Racetrack entered the apartment, he found the whole Jacobs family plus Jack there. Racetrack smiled at the scene. Jack was kneeling next to Sarah's bed and talking with her in hushed tones. By the look on the two's faces, Racetrack had a feeling that their relationship was on the mend.

"Racetrack?" he heard someone say. Racetrack turned to see David. "What are you doing here?"

"I hoid Sarah got lost or something?" he replied with a questioning look. David glanced back at his sister.

"Yeah...She went on a walk earlier this afternoon. When she didn't come home by dinner and it began to rain, Momma started to worry," David said. "I went out and looked for her in places where she could have been, but I couldn't find her...that's when I sent out a newsie search team. Everyone looked for a good hour or so, but -"

"But no one but da amazing and incredible Jack Kelly could find her, right?" Racetrack interrupted with an all-knowing smile. David opened his mouth to reply, but Jack had just come up.

"You guys talkin' 'bout me?" Cowboy asked, glancing back and forth between the two. David's mouth clamped shut.

"As a mattah of fact, we were," Racetrack replied. "Seems I missed a lot while I was gone."

Racetrack watched as David's face turned stone solid and he wandered back over to Sarah.

"Look at dat!" Jack said in a harsh whisper, following David with his eyes. "I help find da guy's sistah and he still treats me like fish guts!"

"Some people!" Racetrack muttered in mock disgust. Jack cracked a grin.

"Sarah, I gottah get back to da lodging house," Cowboy called over to her and slipped on his boots. "You get lots of rest, dough."

Racetrack's gaze flickered over to Miss Jacobs. She had a exhausted smile on her face as she gave Jack a brief wave of farewell.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Well! What happened?" Racetrack asked as soon as they were on the right street home. Jack just smiled and took out his cigarette. He was lifting it to a brick wall when Racetrack quickly said, "Wet brick. Won't light." Jack lowered his hand and stashed the cigarette in his pocket. Racetrack looked up at the sky and realized it had finally stopped raining.

"I found her in an alley. Sprained her ankle real bad," Jack began. He stuck his hands in his pockets as they walked.

"How?" Racetrack asked.

Jack's forehead creased. "She said some goon was chasin' her for helping a kid."

Racetrack gave a puzzled look but said nothing.

"Anyway...I think we're good now," Jack said, smiling again and staring ahead.

"I don't consider myself to be a goil expert, Jack, but I do know dat a relationship has its up and downs," Racetrack replied. His friend shrugged.

"Well, den dis is- was our foist down," Jack said, glancing at Racetrack.

"Whadda 'bout Nathan?" he asked. Jack's face broke out in triumph.

"Sarah gave him da boot," he replied. Racetrack grimaced though.

"Davey won't be too happy 'bout dat," he warned.

Jack snorted. "Sorry, Racetrack, but I don't live to please dat boy."

"But you guys were such good friends!" Racetrack protested.

"As you said, a relationship has its up and downs," Jack replied with an annoying smirk.

"Hey! Don't use my mature and clever advice against me!" Race said, trying to look threatening.

"Racetrack, please. We all know dat you get dat cheesy crap out of dose romance novels you read all da time," Jack replied in a casual tone and hiding a smile. Racetrack's mouth dropped open in shock. He then lunged after his friend, but Jack broke into a run, narrowly escaping Racetrack's hands.

"Beat ya to da lodging house!" Jack called over his shoulder. Racetrack, shouting crazy threats that probably made the sleeping citizens of Manhattan glance out of their window, chased Jack all the way home, only to have both of them collapse at the door in exhaustion.

* * *

**A/N**: This one is kind of short. It's just here to finish up some other conflicts and things.

Thanks for the reviews!

And btw, this is chapter 11/15.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any original newsie characters.

Fwee! Summer break is finally here :D

And with it comes another chapter and a new character. Enjoy

* * *

"Up! Come on!"

Kid Blink rolled on his side and slammed his pillow over his head.

"The presses are rolling!" Kloppman yelled. Kid Blink moaned along with the rest of the newsies that were stumbling out of bed. He heard the boys grumbling and moving about the lodging house, but he didn't budge. Kloppman must of caught him, however, because in the next moment, his pillowed was yanked back and someone whacked him in the head.

"Don't make me get da water, boy!" Kloppman warned. Kid Blink shot up in bed.

"A'ight! A'ight! I'm up!" he said, glaring up at the elder man. "Sheesh."

Kloppman chuckled and then moved on to his next victim. Kid Blink yawned and threw his head into his hands, rubbing the sleep out of his eye. Another day of selling was ahead of him and he was not looking forward to tramping through puddles all day. He grimaced. Why was that the first thing he had to think about in the morning?

As he ambled over to the washing room, he noticed that everyone seemed to be in a good mood, especially Jack who had seemed pretty bummed the last couple of days. Their stupid jokes and laughter was contagious and soon he was smiling and humming one of Medda's songs.

Racetrack came up to Kid Blink just as he was pulling on a shirt.

"No! No!" Racetrack exclaimed, making a 'tsk-tsk' sound. "It's: 'So you're old lady don't love you no more; so you're afraid there's a wolf at your door!" Kid Blink snorted as Racetrack broke out into full song, accent included, and several of the newsies in the room joined him. Kid Blink put on his hat, chuckling, and walked out of the bunk room, leaving his friends singing the chorus while making poor imitations of Medda's dancing.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Not much later, Kid Blink was behind Jack in line at the distribution center. The office hadn't opened yet and the newsies were comparing false headlines while waiting.

"Grand Central getting a new front is great 'nd all, but it sounds too boring to hawk," Mush mused.

"Yeah, won't turn heads," Dutchy agreed. Several of the boys nodded.

"It will if you say it right," Racetrack said.

"Can't say it right widout changing it, dough," Kid Blink pointed out.

Jack scrunched up his nose. "Can too. Just hafta use da right woids."

"Like what?" Racetrack challenged, pulling his cigar out of his mouth and letting out a puff of smoke.

"Twenty dollar woids, no doubt," Dutchy muttered.

Jack smiled. "Don't hafta use big, long woids...just stuff like..._demolished_, or, um,_ flashy_ and _modern_."

"Grand Central Station demolished," Kid Blink tested the words on his tongue. He saw Boots glance back at the big chalkboard.

"Only da front got demolished, but what you said woiks even better," Boots said with a big smile.

Racetrack laughed. "Hah, think I'll use dat too."

"You better run as soon as you sell dat paper den," Jack warned, "because that's a big stretch."

"Hey!" Kid Blink said with a mock frown. "You guys make up your own headlines!"

Racetrack rolled his eyes. The conversation ended, however, as the office opened and the newsies started purchasing their papers.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Just as Kid Blink was about to go over and ask Jake if he wanted to sell together, Racetrack came up.

"Heya, Blink. I was thinkin' we should sell togedda today," he said with a smile.

"Actually, I was just going to ask-"

"Awuh, come on. I don't get to sell at Gold Street dat often," Racetrack interrupted in a pleading tone.

Kid Blink looked over at Jake who appeared to be wandering off with Bumlets at his side.

"A'right," Blink sighed. Racetrack grinned and led the way out of the distribution center.

As soon as they exited the big gates, however, Kid Blink took the lead. He had a feeling that Racetrack could find the selling spot just as well as he could, though, since it was located so close to the Brooklyn Bridge.

On the way there, the two boys talked about everything from Miss Elizabeth Tyler to the new horse at the Manhattan track. When Kid Blink started to talk about what was going on with Spot Conlon, however, Racetrack quickly changed the subject to the day's headlines. Kid Blink didn't understand Racetrack's reaction to the topic, but decided that it wasn't his business to pry.

After that, the two walked in silence for awhile. As they turned down another street, Kid Blink began to worry. They were drawing close to Knives's territory.

He glanced nervously over at Racetrack who was peering down alley openings as they passed them. Why hadn't he thought of this before agreeing to sell with Racetrack? Kid Blink stayed on the look out and tried to walk faster. They had just to get past this street and they were safe.

Now, Kid Blink didn't usually worry about Knives. He had no business with that devil, but Racetrack on the other hand...

"Race! Come on! Please!" Blink begged. Racetrack only smiled at him briefly with a look that said 'Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.' Kid Blink stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down as they passed an alley.

"Do my eyes betray me, or is that Racetrack Higgins?" The smooth and feminine voice that made its way to Kid Blink's ears from behind made the two boys freeze mid-step and turn around. Kid Blink wanted to groan at the person who greeted his vision, but refrained.

There she stood, leaning against the brick wall with her arms crossed, all five feet and six inches of her. She looked the same as she had the last time Kid Blink had 'accidentally' bumped into her. She had dark brown hair that was pulled into a loose bun under her newsie cap(though she was anything but a newsie). A white, long-sleeved shirt with a worn vest adorned her top half while ragged black plants covered her lower half. Despite her boyish apparel, her facial features screamed 'female'. And despite her reputation and street name, she looked everything but intimidating. Kid Blink would even go so far as to say that five foot and two inches Spot Conlon, who was as skinny as a bean pole, looked far more threatening than this girl.

But Kid Blink knew, just as any street kid knew, that it wasn't her appearance that earned her reputation and name. No, it was the multiple knives that she hid in her boots and belt that made thieves stay their distance and kids hold their tongue. Kid Blink knew that if he asked anyone around these parts for a good story, they'd probably tell of the day that Knives had targeted six cans with her blades and shot them all down with almost perfect aim while Spot had tried the same with his slingshot and had hit all but one can.

But that wasn't all. Racetrack could care less about the skill of throwing a dagger. It was the skill of rolling a perfect dice that Racetrack cared about. And as long as Kid Blink could remember, these two had been at each other's throats, whether it be for the title of Manhattan's best gambler or just another victory in poker. Either way, Kid Blink knew he was in for a long haul when Racetrack replied, "I see you're still in Manhattan."

Knives pushed herself off the wall with her shoulder and took a small step forward.

"'Course. Where else would I be?" she asked.

Her brown eyes flickered over Kid Blink briefly before returning to Racetrack who replied, "Brooklyn."

Knives let a dry laugh. "Manhattan's my home. Always will be. Besides, Spot won't let me step foot in Brooklyn." She paused and looked behind her into the alley when a loud boom resounded. Kid Blink raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side while trying to get a glimpse behind a tower of crates. Knives shrugged and turned back to Racetrack.

"Then again, I heard things aren't going too well between you and Spot either."

Kid Blink glanced over at Racetrack. He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked in another direction. He didn't reply for a moment; he seemed to be trying to come up with a good answer.

When he finally spoke, Racetrack said, "How 'bout a game of craps real quick?"

Her question forgotten, Knives's eyes flashed with competitiveness and she smirked. Kid Blink let out a loud groaned.

"Awuh, come on, Blink! I won't be dat long, promise!" Racetrack pleaded. Blink chewed on his bottom lip, looking back and forth between the two gamblers.

"Race, don't you wanna at least sell one pape before you play?" Kid Blink reasoned. "Do you even have any money?"

Racetrack opened his mouth to answer, but Knives quickly said, "Don't worry. It'll be just for fun."

Racetrack looked over at her suspiciously, but said, "Shoah. Fun."

"Fine! But only one game!" Kid Blink said with a warning glare at Racetrack. The two looked at each other with a terrible grin on their faces.

"This way, gentlemen!" Knives then said, bowing dramatically and gesturing toward the alley. Racetrack gladly entered the place, but Kid Blink stayed put.

"No thanks. I'm gonna try and sell here. Just come get me when you're done," he said to the retreating pair. Racetrack waved a hand to signal that he heard him. Only when Blink saw the two kneel down on the cobblestone did he wander over to the other side of the street.

For the next fifteen minutes or so, Kid Blink hawked the headline. He had decided not to use his Central Station idea, since this street wasn't exactly teeming with crowds of people to slip into in case a angry customer decided to chase him.

He was just beginning to lose his patience with the _World_'s headline writer and Racetrack when he heard yelling and screaming coming from the other side of the road.

Kid Blink let out a 'uh-oh' when he turned and saw Racetrack being thrown from the alley's opening. His friend scrambled to his feet in fury.

"You cheated! I saw you with my own eyes!" Racetrack shouted at the opening where Knives obviously stood. Kid Blink ran over to Racetrack when people began turning heads.

"You think I don't know my own trick?!" Racetrack yelled in response to whatever Knives had said. Kid Blink covered Race's mouth with his hand and forced both of them to duck when a chunk of wood came sailing through the air. Racetrack quickly shoved Kid Blink aside and was just about to storm over to the girl, but Blink caught him by the arm and cried, "It's da bulls!"

Racetrack froze and looked down the street. Sure enough, there was a blue coat trotting towards them on horseback. Racetrack looked back at Knives, but she had already fled the alley.

"Come on!" Kid Blink said frantically, tugging on Racetrack's arm. The two burst into a run down the street. They wove their way in between people and carts, getting separated at times, but somehow always finding each other again. Only when they had taken turns down a couple alleys did they bother to look behind them.

"We...we lost him," Kid Blink panted and stopped his legs. Racetrack stopped also and put his hands on his knees.

They didn't say anything for awhile, trying to catch their breath. Kid Blink plopped to the ground. He took of his newsie hat and ran a hand through his hair.

"What in da world was dat all about, Racetrack?" he finally managed to ask. Racetrack wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

"She was using my trick against me!" he said, his eyes turning a darker shade. Kid Blink rubbed his temples in aggravation.

"Blink! My trick!" Racetrack emphasized. "She beat me bad. I'll never live dis down!" He let out an irritated sigh and leaned against the wall.

"Racetrack, how's dat even possible?" Blink reasoned. "You don't show anyone your cheats!"

His friend seemed to consider this for a moment while blankly staring in front of him.

Kid Blink was getting to his feet when Racetrack suddenly sat up straight, new anger flashing in his eyes.

"Oh, I'm gonna soak that kid!" he exclaimed loudly. Then Racetrack stood up and marched out of the alley.

Kid Blink tagged after him. "What kid?" he asked curiously. Racetrack's wheels were running on angry steam.

"Danny!" he spat.

"That little kid?" Kid Blink asked, puzzled. "What's he got to do wid dis?"

"Dat little kid has been makin' my life a livin' hell," Racetrack ranted. "Foist, he gets Spot to block off Brooklyn so I can't go to Sheepshead. Now, he's probably going around and showing everyone my tricks! Which I told him in da strictest confidence!"

Kid Blink was still confused. "Why would he do dat, dough? I thought Danny really liked you."

Racetrack opened his mouth to spill some more angry words, but his expression changed as if he had just remembered something.

He looked down and muttered, "Probably didn't like what Jack said."

"Ohhhhh," Kid Blink let out. This whole situation reminded him of what had happened a couple of days ago, back when he had been selling and that kid had stolen – Kid Blink's eye widened. Could that brat have been...Danny? Then Kid Blink remembered what Mush had been telling him the other day. Jake had also said something about an annoying little kid.

"Racetrack..." Kid Blink said. "Danny's been botherin' all of us lately."

Racetrack looked up and over at his friend. "Really?"

"Yeah. Stealing selling spots, customers, and even throwing rocks at us wid a slingshot," Kid Blink explained, his brow furrowing. "He would do all dat just because Jack didn't like him or something?"

Racetrack looked distressed now. "I guess..." he said. "Kids are moody."

Kid Blink nodded in agreement.

"We need to tell Jack 'bout dis," Racetrack said in a tone of conviction.

"Shoah. I still got a bruise from dat kid." Kid Blink rubbed the back of his neck. Racetrack smiled.

"But foist, we gottah sell dese," he said.

"Where yer papes?" Blink asked, noticing that Racetrack didn't have them under his arm as he usually did.

Racetrack just shrugged, but when they came to Knives's alley, he quickly ran inside and came back out with his papers.

"Its still hard to believe that she beat you," Blink commented with a smirk.

Racetrack whacked him with a paper. "Come on, bonehead, let's get to Gold Street while it's still mornin'."

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The next evening, Racetrack was walking back to the lodging house with Snoddy and Crutchy. Since he didn't have the track to look forward to anymore, Racetrack found himself taking longer than usual to sell all his papers. His drive and motivation to quickly sell was gone. He had the whole evening to do virtually nothing.

Snoddy opened the door for them and Racetrack padded slowly into the lobby. Most of the newsies had turned in for the night and had already started a game of poker. He sank into a couch and watched Specs and Dutchy play a game of checkers with a bored expression.

"Dutchy, whose dis guy?" Specs suddenly asked, giving a chin-up gesture in Racetrack's direction. Dutchy glanced up only long enough to see who Specs was talking about before returning his eyes to the board.

"Dunno. But it can't be Racetrack, 'cause he would be at da track now," Dutchy replied with a small smile. He moved a red piece across the board.

"Yeah, 'nd Racetrack would be crackin' a joke about how stupid a move dat was," Specs snickered and jumped one of Dutchy's pieces. The blond frowned and looked as if he was trying to calculate where he went wrong.

"You're right. But Racetrack can't go to the track and that's why he's stuck here watching you chums play a sorry game of checkers," Racetrack grumbled, continuing their third person talk. Specs and Dutchy looked up simultaneously.

"Whadda ya mean you can't go to da tracks?" Specs asked, looking somewhat surprised.

"I mean--" Racetrack began, but was abruptly cut off when the door to the lodging house burst open and Pie Eater stormed into the room.

"That's it!" he nearly yelled, making everyone look up from what they were doing.

"I'm sick of that kid!" Pie Eater marched over to where Jack was playing cards with Skittery.

"What's a'matter, Pie Eater?" he asked, standing up. "Someone steal your hat again?"

Pie Eater stared at Cowboy for a moment and then almost broke out laughing.

"My hat?" Pie Eater snorted. "No. More like my money! Now I don't got anything left for my papes or food tomorrow!"

Jack frowned. "Why didn't ya chase after him and get back your money?"

Pie Eater scowled. "I did chase him! All da way to da Brooklyn Bridge! But he got away somehow and I couldn't find him anywhere."

Racetrack then noticed how the newsie was trembling like crazy and sweat caked his forehead.

Jack grunted and was about to sit back down, but Dutchy spoke up.

"Hold up. Der was some kid who stole my selling spot da udder day."

"Yea and someone was throwing rocks at me just a couple days ago," Mush threw in.

"Same here!" Bumlets exclaimed.

Racetrack was surprised to see several other newsies stand up and testify against the mysterious attacker.

"A'right, Aright," Jack cut in. "Who is dis guy?"

The boys shrugged and the rooms stayed silent for a moment.

"Danny," Kid Blink stated in a simple voice when he realized that Racetrack wasn't going to say anything. All the gazes in the room flew to Kid Blink.

"Who?" Jack asked, confused.

"Da kid who blabbed to Brooklyn and got Spot mad at ya," Racetrack replied. Kid Blink nodded in agreement.

"Dat little twerp?" Jack asked. "I thought he stayed in Brooklyn."

"Who knows. He probably is in Brooklyn, just comes to Manhattan to bug da crap out of us," Racetrack said in an even tone. The newsies started murmuring and grumbling amongst each other.

"Jack, go soak da kid!" Someone called out angrily.

"Why can't you guys?" Jack asked.

"'Cause you'se da only one he's afraid of," Racetrack answered with a smirk.

A couple of boys called out their agreements.

"Yeah, Jack. Besides, you're da leader," Boots said. Jack smiled faintly as he realized what Boots had said was true.

"Come on, Jack! He's da one who got us in straits wid Spot," Pie Eater added.

Jack looked around the circle of newsies that had formed. All of them had begging faces and pleading eyes.

Finally, Jack sighed and said, "Alright, where can I find dis kid?"

* * *

Yayyyy. Thanks for the reviews, guys! They were loverly!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any original Newsie characters, nor the song lyrics below.

_And after all of my alibis desert me_

_I just want to get by_

_I don't want nothing to hurt me_

_I had no idea where my head was at _

_But if my heart says I'm sorry, can we leave it at that?_

_Because I just want for all of this to end_

_All of my escapes have been exhausted_

_I thought I had a way but then I lost it_

_And my resistance was once much stronger_

_And I know I can't go on like this much longer_

_-Relient K (I So Hate Consequences)_

Jack had only been to Sheepshead once. And that was because Racetrack had begged and pleaded with him so much that Jack went just to shut him up. But today, he was here for a totally different reason.

When Jack stepped through the track's gates, he felt over-overwhelmingly small. The circle of huge bleachers and boxes loomed over him. The empty track lay before him, stretching out for miles. With just the wind blowing over the sand, it felt quiet and eerie. Yet, at the same time, Jack could almost hear the hooves beating the earth and the crowd roaring. It was a totally different atmosphere than the busy streets of Manhattan. Maybe Racetrack's obsession with this place had more to do with than with just gambling.

Jack let out the breath he had been holding while staring at the grandeur and began moving along the side of the sandy track. He saw one lone figure on the sand. From a distance, Jack assumed he was raking.

He kept moving, following the sounds of a stable. What was he suppose to do when he found Danny? Walk up to him, hook him in the face, and then walk away? He frowned. Jack didn't recall any of the newsies giving him specific instructions.

Knowing that he had Danny's fear as an advantage, Jack began formulating a plan in his mind. Hopefully he could complete his mission without spilling any blood.

He wandered up the track until he came to the stables. The smells that greeted his nostrils were unfamiliar. He scrunched up his nose as he stepped into the area. A man was leading a horse across the yard, avoiding piles of dung along the way. A group of jockeys sat on bales outside the big barn's entrance, laughing and talking merrily. The sounds of neighing, meowing, metal clanging, and people's talking filled the air.

Jack looked around the yard, scanning for Danny. He slipped behind what looked like a shed, though he quickly found out it was an outhouse instead, and peaked around the corner. Seeing that Danny was not in the yard, Jack stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled out in the open, keeping his head down. His feet treaded the worn grass lightly, though he was trying to reach the barn as fast as possible.

No one noticed him, or else they didn't say anything, and soon Jack was inside the stables. He wondered if the cowboy hat that hung idly at his back had help camouflage him at all.

The place he had stepped into was nothing but a long hallway with stalls on either side. He had come in through a side entrance of the barn, however, so in the middle of the hallway, on the right, he could see a break in the stalls where the main entrance of the barn could be found.

When he looked up, he saw that the roofs of the left row of stalls formed a loft where hundreds of hay bales were stacked. His eyes trailed along them until he found a small, wooden ladder that provided access to the loft. A sudden urge to climb the ladder and lay in the hay while chewing on a piece of straw flooded his being, but he refrained himself, remembering his goal in coming here. His gaze returned to the floor of the place. There was no one in the hallway, just a good dozen or so horses poking their heads out of the stall openings. The horse nearest him neighed softly and stamped a hoof. Jack turned to see a black mare. Her forehead had a large white star in the shape of a deformed heart; the rest of her face was the color of the night. Jack drew closer to the horse and stroked its face. His fingers ran slowly along the mare's coarse hair, his mind warped with thoughts of New Mexico. He was so absorbed with the horse and his thoughts that he didn't hear someone approach him from behind.

"We call her Revere's Pride," came the soft and timid voice. Jack turned his head ever so slightly to see Danny standing there. He took one last look at the horse and drew back his hand. When he turned around, Danny was still standing there, looking at the dirt beneath his feet. Jack stared at him, not knowing what to do or say. An awkward silence lingered in the air. Jack figured that he should be pushing Danny up against the wall and punching his lights out right about now, but once again, Danny had caught Jack at the wrong moment. Or rather, for Danny's sake, at the right moment. Being in this barn, amongst the horses and hay bales, Jack felt like being anything but the tough street kid that his reputation had grown to be. His fingers itched to hold the reins and his face longed to feel the warm New Mexico air breathe on his skin as he galloped down an endless plain of green.

Jack let out a breath that made his bangs fly upward. Danny looked up cautiously and seemed relieved when he didn't find a scowl on Jack's face.

"Danny..." Jack started slowly. He let his eyes wander over to a horse across the hall. "What you're doing is wrong."

Danny averted his gaze to Revere's Pride and shifted his weight nervously.

"What are you talking about?" he mumbled, bringing back Jack's attention.

"Don't lie. You know exactly what I'm talkin' 'bout." Jack's lips formed a hard line.

"I ain't lying," Danny replied quickly, attempting and failing miserably at displaying an offended look.

Jack took a small step forward. "Look, kid. I came all dis way on request by Racetrack and da boys to give you a soaking you'll never forget for all der stolen possessions. So I suggest you wise up now or pay da price."

Danny stared up at Jack with wide eyes. He didn't say anything and Jack was beginning to lose his patience.

Then, just when Jack was wondering if he would ever reply, Danny abruptly took off down the hallway. Jack watched as he nearly fell when he took the sharp turn for the main entrance.

"Stupid kid," Jack muttered and trudged after Danny. Instead of following Danny out of the main entrance, Jack exited the same way he had entered the barn. Just as he had predicted, Jack was able to cut Danny off.

When Jack stepped out of the barn, Danny collided with him and fell on the grass from the impact. When he looked up and saw Jack, Danny scrambled to his feet. But Jack was faster, for he quickly reached out and grabbed Danny by the collar of his shirt.

"Lemme go!" Danny shouted as Jack dragged him across the yard with an irritated expression. The jockeys shot them quizzical glances, but said nothing. Though Danny struggled against his hold, Jack brought him to the back of the outhouse and pinned him against the wall with his arm.

"Fine. If you don't want to admit what you did, then I'll tell you," Jack said, lifting Danny up on the wall so that his feet were dangling. "Foist, you go run your mouth to Spot Conlon, telling _lies_ about what Racetrack said. Second, Spot beats up Racetracks _because_ of what you said. Third, Racetrack can't come here anymore, because of what you said, _again_. And, by da way, I don't think you understand half of what dat means because you ain't da one that has to listen to his wise cracks when he hasn't got anything better to do. Fourth, you steal my newsies' papers, selling spots, customers, and money. And last of all, I had to walk my legs off to get here, only for you to spit in my face and run away like the coward you are." Jack took a breath. "So's if you wanna tell me you don't know what I'm talkin' about, then that's just another lie to add to your already. long. list." With each of his last words, he gave of push of force against Danny's trembling chest. The two looked each other in the eye, Jack with intimidation and Danny with fear.

"Alright! It was me! Okay?!" Danny burst out. Jack's grip loosened only slightly. "I went too far! I'm an idiot, a moron, a jerk! Are you happy now?" Jack could see tears forming in his eyes.

"No. That still doesn't explain why you did what you did," Jack replied coolly. Danny sniffed back his salt water and put on an angry face.

"Why half the people in this crummy world do the crazy things they do: to get revenge," Danny spat.

"Revenge?" Jack questioned. "Revenge on who?"

"On you, Racetrack, the newsies, my mum...everyone," Danny replied, his voice losing its edge near the end of the sentence.

"What's your mudder got do with me and my newsies?"

"Nothing...nothing at all. I just-- You remember when you yelled at me that night? But only because things between you and your girl weren't going so smooth?" Danny asked. Jack nodded and waited for him to continue, but Danny didn't.

Then Jack realized what he was saying. He released Danny and took a step back.

"I'm-I'm sorry, Jack. I never meant it to get this far." Danny slid down the outhouse's wall and sat on the ground. Silent tears rolled down his cheeks and he stared past Jack.

"Danny, you may be mad at your mudder or something, but dat don't make what you did right," Jack said quietly.

"You think they'll forgive me?" Danny asked meekly, looking up at Jack.

"No," Jack replied shortly. "You messed up a lot."

"I know! But I can help fix it too!" Danny pleaded, standing up.

Jack couldn't help it; his heart went out to the kid. True, he had done many stupid things and gotten a lot of people in trouble, but it was all in spite of wanting revenge and desiring attention. Danny needed a friend, someone to care and love him, he just didn't know how to get it. Racetrack hadn't realized this and had treated Danny like an annoying, yelping puppy.

Jack stuck his hands in his pockets. What was he suppose to do now? He didn't want to leave Danny and his problems and Danny could really help them patch things up with Brooklyn. But most importantly, this kid needed a home and a family and Jack had both readily available.

"Please, Jack..." Danny said, his voice almost a whisper. Jack looked at him and caved in, his shoulders slumping a little.

"You're goin' hafta get down on your knees and beg real hard for forgiveness," Jack said solemnly and then smiled. Danny grinned and wiped away his tears with his fists.

"Get your stuff. We might be able to get back before its night," Jack instructed, pushing him gently in the direction of the stable.

Danny stopped and turned around. "My stuff? Why?"

"Well, ya wanna be a Manhattan newsie, don't ya?" Jack asked. Danny's mouth dropped open.

"I can't stay with you! Racetrack will slit my throat in my sleep!" he exclaimed.

Jack chuckled. "He ain't got da guts. Don't worry, I'll make sure dey don't treat you too bad. I ain't promisin' you nothing. You'se da one who has to say sorry and earn der trust back."

Danny nodded somberly. Jack gave him another push. "Now go."

Danny started for the barn again, but stopped after a couple of feet and ran back to Jack. He wrapped his arms around Jack's waist and murmured, "Thanks."

Jack smiled faintly and went stiff, feeling awkward. Danny looked up at him with a huge smile and then ran back to the barn.

* * *

**A/N:** Ohhh I really like this chapter. :D And don't mind the random song lyric at the beginning, I just thought it fit the chapter. Thanks for all the reviews! I really do appreciate them, they make me want to update more often!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any original Newsies characters.

* * *

"Now remember, they ain't gonna be too keen on welcoming you," Jack warned when they stood just outside the lodging house. "Did you bring back all der stuff?"

Danny nodded. He carried a small makeshift bag in his right hand.

Jack looked up at one of the house's windows and then back at Danny.

"I dunno why I'm doin' dis," Danny heard Jack mutter beneath his breath. "Look, I'm going to go talking to dem foist. You wait here, k?"

Danny nodded again and watched Jack climb the few stairs. When he opened the door, light and laughter flowed into the dark, silent night. Danny looked around the street after the door had closed. A few carriages roamed the street still, probably carrying their rich masters and mistresses to a late night party. He saw a white cat stalk along the side of road, daintily picking its paws over trash that had spilled from a nearby alley. In the distance, he found a person walking down the street with his head hung low and his feet shuffling. Danny, realizing it might be a newsie coming back to the lodging house, scurried over to the side of the building and sank into its shadows. He waited and watched as the figure drew closer and eventually turned to the lodging house, climbing the steps and walking in through the door. Danny had recognized him because of his eye patch, but he didn't know his name. He stepped into the street again and waited for Jack.

His feet mindlessly tapped to the crackling and upbeat music that wove its way through the night air while happy thoughts zoomed through his mind. Jack didn't hate him as much as he had thought and he was being offered a home! The wonderful part about it was that he was so undeserving of such kindness. After every horrible thing he had done, Jack seemed to understand why. And Danny was sorry. Really sorry. He knew he should of never made that bet with Racetrack, but he had seen no better way to prove to Racetrack that he could... well, he didn't know what he had wanted to prove. He didn't know why he had made the bet either. Maybe he had thought that Racetrack would be better friends with him for some reason. And going to Spot really was to get revenge on Racetrack for treating him like dirt. That's all it was; he hadn't wanted to get the whole Manhattan newsie bunch in trouble with Spot; just Racetrack. Everything had spun out of control from there. Pestering the newsies was just a way to get their attention, to let them know he was still alive and lonely as ever. He would of never dreamed that they would've gotten so fed up with him that they would send Jack all the way to Brooklyn to deal with him...

Fifteen minutes had passed when Jack finally opened the lodging house door and stepped out. His expression was one of frustration.

"Danny, I don't think it'll work out," Jack said, sitting down on a step. He put his elbows on his knees and brought his clasped hands to his lips.

"Why not? They can't be too mad. I brought back their stuff! Did you tell them that?" Danny came over to Jack and sat down next to him.

"It's not just der stuff, Danny. You stole time, papers, and customers. Dose can't be replaced," Jack replied. Danny hung his head.

"Racetrack was da one who really seemed ticked at da idea of you staying here," Jack mused when Danny didn't say anything.

He looked up with a weak smile. "He got it real bad." Danny's smile disappeared however, when he remembered his business with Knives.

"Just give me a chance, Jack. I gotta prove myself!" Danny said, turning to Jack. "If I don't, they'll hate me forever!"

Jack seemed to consider this for a moment. Then he said, "Fine. It's your death wish."

Danny grinned and got to his feet. His hand reached for the doorknob, but stopped.

"Aren't you coming?" Danny asked when Jack didn't move.

He shook his head and said simply, "I ain't going to defend you. It's your battle."

Danny looked down for a brief moment. Jack was right. This was his own battle, one that he had win if he wanted any friends in Manhattan. Taking a deep breath, Danny slowly turned the doorknob and pushed open the door.

When he stepped into the lobby, Danny saw nearly all the newsies sprawled out on the couches, the floor, and some chairs. When he shut the door behind him, almost everybody looked up from what they were doing. The room went deathly silent. He scanned for Racetrack and found him in a circle of boys, a number of cards in his hand. Racetrack was looking at him with a hard glare.

"Well, well. Looks like he has more guts than we thought," one of the older boys said, standing up.

"Jack wasn't lying," another boy commented. He also stood up and approached Danny. "This guy wants to stay here after all he's done."

Danny shrank back a step. "I – I came to say-say that I'm sorry," he stuttered.

Mush came forward too. "Sorry don't always cut it, kid," he said.

Danny fumbled to open his bag. He reached in and grabbed a pouch of change. "Here," he said, throwing it to the kid he had stolen it from. He caught it with a shocked expression. Danny quickly pulled out other items and handed them back to their rightful owners.

"Whadda 'bout my tricks, Danny?" Racetrack asked quietly.

"Yeah and yesterday's papes," someone tossed in.

"My customers?" another asked. Danny looked down.

"I can't get those back...sorry," he mumbled. "Go ahead and beat me up for it. I don't care."

He felt Racetrack staring at him. A couple of the newsies actually advanced on him. So what. Let them get it out of their system.

Danny stood there, waiting for the fist to hit his face, but it never came.

"Hold up, guys! He said he was sorry!" Danny glanced up to see a kid about his own height jump in front of him.

"Awuh, come on, Boots. Quit being such a sucker," one of the boys who had his fists up complained. Danny quickly glanced over at Racetrack, but he wasn't there anymore.

"He said he was sorry," Boots repeated. The boys didn't move. Then an elderly man with glasses and a bowler hat broke through the circle.

"Move aside, move aside," he said, pushing boys out of his way. When he reached Danny, he grabbed his arm and tugged him away from the newsies.

"Anyone's allowed to stay here as long as they can pay!" the old man shouted, his voice beating out the boy's protests. Danny followed the man numbly to the desk.

"What's yer name, son?"

"Danny."

"Hmph. Well ya don't have to pay," the elderly man said, running a crooked finger down a list in his book. "Last time you were here, you paid but didn't stay. Bunks are upstairs." The man pointed to the staircase. Danny nodded. He turned back to the glaring newsies. He walked past them to the staircase, keeping his head down. Their glares were like daggers piercing his skin. Only when he was climbing the stairs did they go back to what they were doing. Danny sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The next morning, Danny was up before the rest of the newsies. Working at the stables, he often had to rise and muck stalls or groom horses before even the sun itself graced the sky with its presence. It was necessary if he had wanted his pay for that day. But he wasn't at the stables anymore; he was at the Manhattan Newsboys Lodging house. The thought made him smile, despite his poor circumstances.

He leaned his head against the backboard of the bunk. Last night, he had chosen the bunk farthest away from the boys. It was at the very end of the room in a dark corner. No one was sleeping above him so he had placed his belongings up top.

Suddenly, Danny heard slow, heavy footsteps climbing up the stairs. Soon the old man who had signed him in last night swung open the door and marched in. Danny watched in amusement as he went from bunk to bunk, hollering 'Get up!'s and threats that made the boys scramble out of their beds.

When he came to Danny's bunk, he smiled. "I like you already, kid." Danny grinned and got out of bed as soon as the man moved on. He stood by his bunk for a moment and observed what the newsies did. Most of them dragged themselves to the wash room while others began putting on their clothes. Danny had slept in his clothes and didn't want to go and make a scene of himself in the washroom, so he waited.

"Hey Danny. Ain't ya gonna at least brush yer teeth?" Danny looked at the bunk across from his. Boots was talking to him while pulling on a shirt.

"I don't have a toothbrush," he responded quietly. Boots frowned.

"Use mine," he said. Danny shook his head. Boots shrugged. Newsies were quickly filtering out of the room and Boots followed them. Danny, not knowing what else to do, trailed after Boots.

The old man was taking a head count as the boys rushed down the stairs and out the door.

"Danny!" he called out. Danny was just about to exit through the door, but he stopped and turned around. "You got enough money for papers this morning?" the old man asked.

Danny smiled and nodded and then raced out the door to catch up with the rest of the newsies.

For the whole walk there, Danny kept his distance from the group. He knew they were ignoring him by the way they went on laughing and talking as if he wasn't even there. Danny wished he could join in and be one of them, but he also knew he had a lot to prove before that happened. And that was fine. At least he was here and Jack and Boots were somewhat cordial to him.

When he reached the distribution center, Danny quickly got in the back of the line. He noticed that the older boys got the first half of the line and the younger boys got the second half. Looking up at the front, Danny watched Racetrack talk with the kid who had an eye patch and then move up and purchase his papers. As Danny drew closer to the front of the line, Racetrack plunked down on the platform and started flipping through a newspaper.

"Hey! Danny!" Danny jerked his head to the side to see who was talking to him. A boy who glasses and a bowler hat on was waving wildly. Danny gave him a questioning look.

"Come sell wid me!" the boy called with a big grin. Danny was confused. Just last night everyone had been giving him a hard time and now one of the newsies wanted to sell with him?

Danny was about to shake his head 'no', but then the boy with the glasses was rudely shoved aside by another boy.  
"No! He's selling wid me!" he said. The newsie with glasses shoved him back.

"I asked him foist!"

"So? You can sell wid him tomorrow!"

"No, you can sell wid him tomorrow!"

Danny's brow furrowed. Why did they want to sell with him? It didn't add up.

The two boys bickered until Jack came over and stepped between the two.

"Would you two kids stop?" Jack said, glaring at both of them. "You guys are skilled enough to sell widout a cute kiddy."

Danny raised an eyebrow. So, that's what it was. They were just using him.

"Besides, Racetrack is gonna sell wid Danny today," Jack added with a smirk.

Danny's gaze flew to Racetrack who had jumped up off his feet.

"What? Are you saying Racetrack isn't skilled enough?" the boy with glasses retorted.

"Jack! Dat ain't right!" Racetrack protested. Danny looked uneasily at Jack.

"You da one who brought him here in da foist place, Race. You teach him how to sell," Jack replied and then hefted his stack of papers on his shoulder.

Racetrack grunted and glanced over at Danny with a this-is-your-fault kind of look. Jack left the area, alone, and the two boys who had been fighting over Danny wandered back to a place in line.

Racetrack was waiting impatiently by the big gates when Danny climbed down the loading dock's steps with his papers in hand. Racetrack took off without a word. Danny quickly followed him, trying to keep up with him as the older boy walked unhesitatingly through Manhattan's streets. Danny really didn't want to lose sight of Racetrack. Unfortunately, he had never spent much time in Manhattan, so Danny had no idea where he was going.

At one point, Danny nearly lost him when Racetrack made a sudden sharp turn down an alley. When he had backtracked and turned down the same alley, Danny saw Racetrack making another turn.

"Racetrack!" he called and started running. When he had the turn, he saw Racetrack and quickly caught up with him.

"Racetrack!" he repeated, now by his side. "Please slow down!"

Racetrack barely glanced at him. "Why? You're a kid; you got a ton of energy."

"Not when I'm dodging carts and people," Danny replied and looked at Racetrack pleadingly.

When Racetrack didn't say anything, Danny said," Come on, Racetrack! I said I was sorry!"

"So now you think you can come live wid us?" Racetrack asked, sending an icy glare Danny's way.

"It was Jack's idea..." Danny didn't know what else to say.

Racetrack snorted. "Yeah, well, he ain't exactly in my top ten right now."

"Can't you just forgive and forget?" Danny asked meekly. Racetrack stopped and whirled around to face Danny.

"Don't go preaching to me, you little thief!" Racetrack nearly shouted. Danny opened his mouth to defend himself, but Racetrack rushed on. "I had enough problems in my life before you showed up! But what you did-- you know what? Here! Take back your stupid money! I don't even want it anymore." Racetrack pulled out the bills from his pocket and threw them on the alley's floor. He strode off angrily down the alley. Danny scrambled to pick up the money and then chased after Racetrack.

"It wasn't 'cause of the money!" Danny said while trying to match Racetrack's fast pace. Racetrack turned his head to stare at Danny.

"It wasn't?! Then what da heck was your purpose in torturing me?!" Racetrack shook his head in disbelief and gave Danny a shove. He quickly caught up with Racetrack again, now angry.

"'Cause of that!" Danny exclaimed, standing in front of Racetrack and blocking his way.

"I only wanted to be your friend! But ever since day one you've treated me like dirt. I thought that making that bet would prove that I was really thirteen instead of seven!"

Racetrack had a hard expression displayed on his face. "Yeah? Well you didn't handle losing in a mature way."

"'Cause I realized you had taken advantage of me!" Danny protested.

Racetrack sidestepped around Danny and kept walking. Danny didn't tag after him this time.

"We both did something wrong, Racetrack!" Danny called after him. "I apologized and now its your turn!"

Racetrack kept walking.

"Fine! I'll go sell by myself!" Danny tried again. "But if I don't come back tonight, you'll know its because I got lost and some goons beat me up!" Danny huffed and turned on his heel when Racetrack disappeared around another corner. He could sell his papers and without the help of an inconsiderate jerk.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Hey! You! Get outta da way!" Danny quickly scurried tot he side of the street at the fat man's shout. A loaded wagon sped down the road. Danny mumbled an apology to himself and started walking on the sidewalk.

Danny had been selling all morning. His throat was dry, his stomached ached with hunger, and he still had fifteen papers left. And for the past hour, he had been wandering around looking for Tibby's. He figured that if he got there, he could find Jack or Boots and follow them around instead of selling by himself and getting lost at every turn.

When he reached an area that looked somewhat familiar, he decided to ask somebody for directions.

"Excuse me," he said timidly, standing on his tip-toes and tapping the man on the shoulder from behind. Danny was surprised to see he was a newsie when he turned around. Danny only recognized him because of his long, jet black hair. The newsie stared at him for a moment and then realization spread slowly to his features. He didn't show hate or dislike, but something more like suspicion.

Comforted by this, Danny asked, "Can you point me in the direction of Tibby's?"

"Actually, I was just going there meself," he replied, a smile curving his lips. Danny gave him a relieved and grateful expression. When the older boy started walking, Danny quickly followed.

"You don't hate my guts?" he asked curiously once he was padding along side the newsie.

He shrugged and casually said, "Da boys are kind of over-reacting, in my opinion. But den again, I wasn't one of yer targets." He looked over at Danny with an amused smile and added, "You'se was pretty sneaky. I'm Bumlets, by da way."

Danny grinned. "You were gonna be next."

Bumlets pretended to be shocked and he took a fearful sidestep away from Danny.

"Suppose I should hate yer guts den," he said and then laughed.

Danny shook his head and also laughed. "Nah. I'm just kiddin'," he said. "Why do they call you Bumlets?"

"Its a long story," he replied with a smirk. He stopped and looked up. "And here we are."

Danny looked over and saw that they were standing right in front of Tibby's. Bumlets pulled open the door and the two boys walked in.

The atmosphere of the diner was pretty much the same compared to the last time he had visited. Bumlets was quick to wander off to his own table of friends, leaving Danny alone by the door.

"Danny!" he heard someone call. His gaze flew to the left side of the room where Jack was waving him over. As Danny crossed the room to his table, he noticed Racetrack sitting next to Jack along with another boy whose stiff, clean clothes and straight face set him apart from the rest of the newsies.

Jack was the only smiling face as Danny pulled another chair up to the table and sat down quietly.

"Alrighty, since we're all here and David's been informed of what's goin' on, let's discuss what we're goin' do," Jack started. Danny quickly raised a hand. Jack smiled.

"Yeah?"

"What ya talking about?" Danny asked, biting his lower lip.

"We're talkin' about how we'se gonna clean up da mess you made wid Spot," Racetrack replied shortly.

"Thank you, Racetrack," Jack said dryly.

"What's he got to do with it?" Danny questioned, pointing to whom he was guessing to be 'David'.

"A month or so ago, David helped us get Spot to join us in da strike. He's a real good thinker," Jack answered. "We hope he can help us get back our alliance now."

"He don't look too happy to be here," Danny noted.

"I'm not happy to be here," David finally spoke up. "Jack all but held a knife up to my throat to get me to agree to doing this."

The three at the table smirked and chuckled, but David still sat there with a begrudging expression.

"So, dis is what's gonna happen," Jack began. "We'se gonna get there and say we wanna apologize so Spot will let us in. Den, David will explain what really happened. Racetrack will say dat he didn't mean the things he said and Danny will say he was lyin' and just did everything cuz of his internal conflict. Hopefully, Spot will understand and we can restore our alliance."

David was smirking at Jack's use of big words, but Danny caught Racetrack looking at him funny.

"Everyone got dat?" Jack asked. The other three boys nodded.

David rose out of his chair. "Is that all?" It seemed like he couldn't wait to get away from them.

"Yep. Just be at the lodging house at five tonight. We'll hitch it on a trolley to get there faster and back before its too late," Jack said. David nodded again and then left to go sit at another table.

"What's his problem?" Danny asked, glancing back over his shoulder at David.

"Nothing," Jack replied with a faint smile. "That's just David for ya."

* * *

**A/N: **So things are coming together, but we'll just have to see what Spot says. ;D

The next chapter is the last chapter sadly and I don't know if I'll be doing anymore fanfiction. It was funny how I was actually able to complete 15 chapters of this story, then when I tried to write another fanfic, I couldn't seem to focus on it! I have a wonderful story about Jack partially written, but I'm stuck again and I don't know if I'll pick it up back or not. D:

We'll see. Thanks for the reviews and faves! Love ya guys!


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the original newsie characters.

* * *

The ride to Brooklyn was long and quiet. The four boys were sitting side by side on the very back of a trolley car, their legs dangling as it sped down the street. Racetrack was squeezed in between Danny and David with Jack to the right of David. Danny was silent, only staring at the road as it flew beneath his feet. However, Racetrack was listening to Jack who was making sorry attempts to start a conversation with David.

Jack had been going on for about fifteen minutes when David finally cut in and said, "I'm not in the mood for small talk, Jack." His glare was harsh. Jack fell silent.

"Cut him some slack, Davey," Racetrack said, "He's just tryin' to make amends."

"You should be the one to talk." David gave a chin-up gesture in Danny's direction. Racetrack flinched at David's words, as if he had physically slapped Racetrack. Danny glanced up briefly. An innocent smile formed on his lips.

After that, no one talked. Tension hung in the air between them, like a dark cloud that threatened to burst at any moment. When the trolley car stopped at the point closest to the Brooklyn Bridge, the foursome hopped off and began walking. Their steps were slow and heavy, as if they dreaded what was going to happen. And they did; each for a different reason. For Jack, it was his pride. With how things had ended last time, it was almost humiliating to be coming back and practically begging for forgiveness. Racetrack, however, was afraid. If Danny mentioned their bet, then the blame would fall on his head. Danny was scared too. What would Spot say when he found out what Danny had done? Or rather, what would he _do_? And David, well, helping Jack was the last thing in the world he wanted to do at the moment.

None the less, they trudged across the bridge, only stopping when they reached the end that broke off into Brooklyn. They stood there for a moment, looking around warily. Racetrack had informed them of what had happened the last time he had tried to make it to Sheepshead. But no one popped out of the shadows and they kept walking. Jack subconsciously took the lead, turning down alleys and streets that were only slightly familiar to Danny and Racetrack. Though Racetrack was often in Brooklyn, the newsboy lodging house was not on the path that led to Sheepshead.

"Jack, are you sure you know where you're going?" David asked impatiently after they had been walking in silence for a good while. Racetrack was beginning to wonder the same thing. Jack didn't reply; instead, he stopped in front of a short building. Its lack of height was made up with its width. Racetrack assumed it had only one story. By the door was a sign that read 'BROOKLYN NEWSIES LODGING HOUSE'. Jack climbed up the steps and opened the door. The other three boys quickly followed after him.

When Racetrack stepped into the lobby, the first thing he noticed was its emptiness. It was much like their own lobby, with the couches and a big desk off to the side. But there was no old man behind the desk and no staircase that led to another floor. Instead, there was a door on the back wall. Sounds of laughter and talking flowed out from it. This was the door that Jack approached and knocked slowly on. The three boys stood quietly behind him, waiting for the door to open. But it didn't, at least not for a good couple minutes. Only when Jack knocked again did they hear thundering footsteps from the other side. The foursome took a quick step back and the door was swung open. A boy filled the door frame, his large body reeking of the smell of sweat. His hair was mussed and blood could be seen trickling down his mouth. Racetrack guessed he had been wrestling.

"Is Spot here?" Racetrack admired Jack for keeping the fear out of his voice. The boy's eyes flickered over the group briefly. Then, rather abruptly, the door was slammed shut and they could hear the boy hollering for Spot.

"Idiot," Racetrack heard Jack mutter. The four newsies stood in silence, waiting impatiently and listening to the crazy sounds coming from the other side of the door.

When the door opened again, it was Spot who slipped out. He pushed the door back in its place carefully.

"I see you came to talk," he said, eying David. Jack nodded in response. Spot sighed with irritation and walked promptly over to a couch and sat down.

"Well. Speak," he said brusquely, fingering his cane. Racetrack gave David a shove forward.

"You beat up Racetrack because you thought he was talking trash about you, right?" David began.

Spot shrugged. "I wouldn't say beat up-"

"Beat up, soaked. Whatever," David interrupted. "But you only knew what Racetrack had said because Danny came to you, correct?"

Spot nodded impatiently.

"Danny exaggerated a little," David said and then looked at Danny.

"Just a little. Racetrack was poking fun at you. But he was just joking around," Danny quickly said.

"Yeah, I wasn't being serious or nothin'," Racetrack threw in. Spot looked at each other boy's faces, searching for sincereness.

"A'right, a'right. Dat's understandable," Spot said, leaning back on the couch's cushions. Racetrack let out a breath of relief. But he wasn't safe yet. Spot continued. "So, if dat was nothin' to worry about, den why did Danny tell me 'bout it?"

All gazes flew to Danny.

"I'm sorry, Spot," Danny started. He looked over at Racetrack with sorrowful eyes. "Me and Racetrack made a bet a while back at Sheepshead. Five bucks. I know it was stupid, especially since I was new to the whole game. But I really wanted to prove myself to Racetrack. Anyway, I lost and used it as an excuse to be mad at him. So, telling myself Racetrack had taken advantage of me, I came here. I told you what I remembered him saying about you so you would get mad and go beat him up for me..."

When Danny finished, everyone was staring at him. Jack looked at Racetrack.

"You didn't tell me dis, Race," he said, looking confused. Racetrack just shrugged, trying to look casual about it. Spot stood up with another sigh and said.

"I can see dat dis is not really my problem. Racetrack, 'pose I owe you an apology. Sorry, it was just a misunderstanding. Danny, yer welcome for my services. And Jack, good luck," Spot said. He then smirked. "Now if you 'cuse me, fellas, I got a poker game to return to." With that, the Brooklyn newsie gave Jack a thump on the shoulder and exited the lobby.

As soon as Spot left the room, Jack burst out, "Racetrack!"

"What?" he asked, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Why'd you make dat bet wid Danny?!"

"Hey! He made da bet wid me! I merely agreed."

"You knew he would lose!"

"Uh, its a game of chance. You never know."

"Racetrack."

"Fine! Maybe I did take advantage of him a little, but he didn't have to be such a sore loser!"

"You didn't hafta be a sore winner!"

"Guys!" David nearly shouted. The two boys looked over at him. "Danny said he was sorry; we got our alliance with Spot back. Why are you still fighting?

Racetrack looked down at his boots.

"I agree with David," Danny spoke up. "I really do wanna be friends with ya'll. Can't we just put this behind us?"

Racetrack looked up and caught Jack looking at him. He chewed his bottom lip. David did have a good point...and Racetrack was tired of holding a grudge and fighting with Danny. He felt himself caving in...and it felt good.

Racetrack turned to Danny. "Awuh, what da heck. I forgive ya, Danny." He spat in his hand and held it out. Danny grinned and did the same. When they shook, Racetrack felt like a big burden of anger and hate had been lifted from his shoulders.

He then turned to David with a big smile. "Now, Davey. You can't get away wid saying what you just said widout saying sorry to Jack."

David groaned. "You're right. Why can't I just keep my big mouth shut?"

Racetrack laughed. "I don't think dat's in your being."

David smiled. With a sigh, he said, "A'right, Jack. You're forgiven."

Jack pretended to be offended. "Hey!"

David rolled his eyes and added, "And I'm sorry."

And so, the four Manhattan newsies walked out of the lodging house a happier group than when they had come.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

After the trolley car had stopped and the boys began to go their separate ways, Jack decided to walk home with David. The sun had set and the moon shown brightly in the clear night sky. The two boys walked in silence for awhile, but Jack felt as if he still needed to explain himself.

"So, you really forgave me, Davey?" Jack asked.

David laughed quietly. "Yeah. It was stupid of me to stay angry."

"I really am sorry. I didn't mean to get caught up in everything," Jack still said.

"Nah, I always knew that Nathan was a jerk. I was being a terrible friend letting him get his hopes up about Sarah," David replied.

"And a terrible brother," Jack added boldly. But David only nodded in agreement.

"You're right. I guess I was just so glad to see one of my friends from school that I didn't want to scare him away," David said with a faltering smile.

They had reached the apartment building by now. Jack followed David as he climbed up the staircase and entered the Jacob's apartment. The Jacobs family was still up and about, waiting for their son's safe arrival.

"Jack! Well ain't that a pretty picture! Good to see you two together again and smiling," Mrs. Jacobs exclaimed when they walked in the door. Jack laughed. David quickly walked over to the table and sat down, picking up a letter.

"Sarah's on the roof, if you want to talk to her," Mrs. Jacobs said, nodding at Jack.

"Thank you," he replied before crossing the room and slipping through the window. He climbed up the fire escape to the top of the building. Sarah was no where in sight, but he knew her to be behind the tower of bricks. Very quietly, Jack crept up to it.

"Boo!" he whispered in her ear when he had peaked his head around the corner. Sarah jumped. Jack laughed as he sat down beside her, leaning his back against the brick.

"Jack! Do you always have to scare me?" she asked with a glare that wasn't effective due to her cute smile.

"Yes. Almost always," he replied with a grin. Jack tilted his head up and stared at the stars.

"Another clear night," he mused, as his eyes wandered from constellation to constellation.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sarah nod.

"So, how are things going, Jack?" she asked. He smiled, his gaze still on the stars.

"Things are going good. Real good."

* * *

**A.N/** Eep! Sorry that took forever to get out! I've had a busy summer(had...-sniff-) and just been lazy with this whole story. Sorry! Plus, I couldn't figure out how to upload 15 documents without deleting one /

So, it's over! Ta, da, the end! Thanks to all you newsie fans out there who have followed my story, and especially those who sent in those yummy reviews. Luv you all!

Um, I'm actually working on another story at the moment. It'll be done soon, so add me to your author alert!

Aurevoir!


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